Naeemah Baniti - Dalila Runihura - Azizi Eshe Trilogy
by UndergroundValentine
Summary: -REUPLOAD- The six-year-old collaborative effort that mixed a weird-ass futuristic-Egypt with ancient-ideology featuring singers and musicians known and loved and horribly mistreated through this whole endeavor. Why am I putting this up again? Because people asked nicely. AdamxTommyxDrake and some other smutty nonsense. TW: Rape/abuse/death in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

I'm sure many of you will probably recognize this, so allow me to make a couple of notes: I am only reuploading this because it has been repeatedly requested of me. Nothing about this has changed since it was last published. I have not made any edits, alterations, or additions. Azizi Eshe was never finished, and likely will never be finished. My collaborator from this project is no longer someone I associate with, but this is still as much their effort as mine, so I cannot and will not take full credit for this. There are aspects of these stories that are incredibly triggering and problematic, and for that I apologize. These were written five to six years ago, and my style and preferences for content have long since changed, but I am not motivated enough to adapt this fanfiction (hence merely reuploading it).

If my memory serves, my collaborator wrote the odd chapters for NB, and I wrote the even.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **Show Me How You  
Drake**

Forced to my knees, I knelt in front of the only person in Egypt who really mattered: the Pharaoh. Sure, I knew who he was. Everybody knew who he was, but did I ever expect to be in his palace? No, of course I didn't; but here I was on my knees with a dozen other young men who had been taken from their families.

"Do any of these boys suit what you're looking for, My Pharaoh?" One guard, who was standing next to me, asked. He had been the man who showed up at my family's small house; he told us that we hadn't paid our taxes and that, since we could not afford to pay them, he would have to take my parents' oldest son to work on new pyramids being built next to the Great Pyramids of Ancient Egypt.

I was their oldest son.

However, the guards brought me, as well as a dozen other boys around my age to the palace first. I didn't understand it, nor did I question it. Who was I to speak against royalty when I had less status than a peasant?

The Pharaoh, at least I assumed it was the Pharaoh (I was too afraid to even look up at the man), sighed, pacing down the row of boys, just becoming men in front of him. "No. None of these boys are what I want." He huffed, sounding extremely displeased. I held my breath as he neared my end of the line. I was terrified that we would all end up with our heads rolling, quite literally.

Two feet stopped in front of me. "You," the Pharaoh said, kneeling down in front of me. I was shaking, and I wondered if he could actually see my frame trembling.

"What's your name?" he asked, reaching out and taking my chin into one of his hands, forcing me to look up at him. My eyes nearly started watering from how beautiful he was. I'd heard stories about how magnificent our ruler was, but I never imagined them to be so accurate.

His eyes were a crystal like blue, his lips a pale pink color. I imagined they would be soft against skin and another set of lips. His skin was tanned from the Egyptian sun that shined every day. We were all most tan in that respect, though I was paler than most.

Clinging to his frame was a light, silk top decorated with gold necklaces and cuffs wrapped around his wrists. Hieroglyphic tattoos decorated portions of his skin, and I imagined his back was probably covered in the ink. He was, after all, the pharaoh of Egypt.

Gracing in slim hips was a pair of bright white trousers that were actually extremely form-fitting. In Ancient times, a pharaoh would never wear such things, but with it being the thirty-first century such commodities had changed.

"D-Drake…" I whispered, waiting to tear my eyes away from the man's beauty—but I couldn't. He was intimidating, and I was just a lowly farm boy. What would the Pharaoh ever want with me?

A smile tugged at his beautiful lips. "You are exactly what I've been looking for…" he whispered, rubbing what I could only assume to be some speck of dirt off of my paler cheek, "how old are you, Drake?" he asked, his eyes penetrating right through to my soul; despite the hot temperature of Egypt, my blood ran cold.

"I just… turned eighteen, My Pharaoh…" I whispered. My brain couldn't formulate _why_ the pharaoh of Egypt would have any interest in me whatsoever.

The man took my hands in his larger ones and he stood up, pulling me up with him. "Just old enough," he smiled, his eyes drifting over my frame from head to toe. He then looked away, still holding my hands tightly in his, and turned to his guards.

"This one will do quite nicely. Take the rest of them to the Pyramids and put them to work," he said, his voice surprisingly calm and undemanding.

My heart was beating against my chest, and I watched as the guards gathered the other young men, ushering them out of the palace walls and towards the construction zones of the new pyramids. Around me, the massiveness of the throne room appeared even more daunting as we became the only ones left. In the distance, the pyramids loomed in the desert.

"Why do you look so afraid?" he asked, one of his hands leaving my own. He rested it against my cheek, turning my head to face him; I wondered if he could hear my heart beating against my rib cage. That wasn't really possible was it? He didn't really know how nervous I was, did he?

"I'm just… confused, My Pharaoh," I whispered, turning my eyes away from his, but I didn't dare turn my entire head away from his gaze.

He chuckled, and I swore he was really one of the Gods in human form. It was just too rich and too beautiful. "About? Why I would want to keep you here?" he asked and I nodded without really meaning to.

"I've been looking for another servant for almost a year now, one to go along with the one I already have," he said, motioning to a beautiful blond I had not noticed before, with shocking pale skin much like my own. He was almost completely bare. Nothing but small shorts (I think, I wasn't really sure what they were), sandals, a lot of flattering jewelry, and makeup gracing his small frame.

"I know the word servant sounds… demeaning but it is a much better position than working on the construction of new pyramids; far less dangerous and far more glamorous."

"But… w-why me, My Pharaoh?" I asked, finally looking back at him. I shouldn't have questioned him but, surprisingly, he didn't get angry.

"Because you're just the kind of beauty I've been waiting for," he whispered next to my ear and he took me over to where the blond-haired man stood next to a glorious chair that I could only assume to be the Pharaoh's throne.

"Tommy?" said Pharaoh.

"Yes, My Pharaoh?" he asked, looking up.

"Take Drake to the wash rooms and have him cleaned up, will you?" Pharaoh asked the blond, who simply nodded and walked over to me, putting one arm around my shoulders.

"Come on," he whispered quietly, pulling me away from the Pharaoh. From what I had once heard in passing, the Pharaoh's name was Adam, though common folk would _never_ even consider calling the pharaoh by his true name. It was blasphemy and simply unheard of. According to law, those who spoke out of term like that were severally punished.

Tommy took me down several winding halls, and by the time he pushed a small door that lead to a luxurious bathroom larger than my family's entire house put together, I was completely confused on how we had gotten here.

"I know you're confused and probably a little bit scared, but the pharaoh isn't such a bad guy. He's actually quite… nice," Tommy whispered, a small smile stretching across his lips.

He walked over to a far wall and opened a cabinet that blended in with the wall, pulling out a stack of items that looked similar to what he was wearing, and a rather large bath towel. The palace was designed as it had been in Ancient Egypt, but with all the modern technology provided by generations of progress to make living in it as comfortable as possible. Between where Tommy now stood and where I was standing, there was a large bathtub filled with steaming water; its size alone could have competed with a massive fountain. It was designed to look like a body of water and could fit dozens upon dozens of people in it. Within its extravagance, I could only be amazed.

"I'm just… I don't understand and I _am_ scared…" I admitted, sighing softly. Soft, chocolate eyes met my own as he walked back around the tub to stand next to me.

"I know, but you don't have anything to be afraid of. As long as you do what's expected of you, the Pharaoh will treat you well." Tommy sat the clothing down on a small table. "Now strip."

I could practically feel a fire rushing over my features. "W-what?" I asked, blushing wildly and he smiled, giggling softly.

"Bashfulness will need to be taken care of quickly. The Pharaoh won't like that one bit. Well, he'll think it's cute, actually. But not forever." he said and his fingers nimbly started pealing my clothing from my body.

"What do you mean?" I asked, blushing even more as I became exposed to Tommy. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around myself, avoiding his eyes as much as I possibly could. With a sigh and a playful eye roll, Tommy more or less pushed me into the water, and when my head came above the surface again, he was sitting on the edge of the tub.

"The Pharaoh doesn't just use me for fetching things for him. He… uses certain servants for… other things. More… pleasurable things," he whispered, smiling just slightly. "He's always kind about it, but he will expect it from you."

I was pretty sure my heart stopped, and the blush only deepened. "You mean… sex?" I asked, my voice going a little hoarse, and suddenly my throat was closing up, my lips going dry. "That's why he wants me here: to have _sex_ with me?!"

"Among other things," said Tommy, frowning a little as his eyes softened, "why is that so bad? A boy as appealing as you must be used to such activities?"

I was baffled at that. People always found me attractive, but nobody I grew up around had ever asked me such things. Nobody had ever been so blunt about taboo matters, things that only happened behind closed doors.

"Well… no, not really…" I whispered, my face brightening to a soft pink color.

Tommy blinked, seeming a little caught off guard. "Are you saying you've never had sex before?" he asked. My simple blush must have answered his question, "well, Pharaoh is going to love you even more than he first anticipated. He never really thought he would find a virgin. Not in these times. Hardly anyone managed to keep their virginity long…"

He almost sounded envious.

"But I… can't be a sex servant to the man who took me from my family," I argued, but made sure to keep my voice low. The last thing I needed was for the pharaoh to find out I was so against becoming his sex slave. "That guard tore me away from my family simply because we're poor. How could I… be so obedient and… intimate with the person who did that to me?" I asked, my voice trembling a little.

He frowned, sighing softly. "I know how you feel. The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago, but… he isn't wrong. This job takes a while to get used to, but it has a lot of perks that you would never dream of. It's… a lot better than being one of those boys shipped off to build pyramids. They believe in creating those just like Egyptians did in ancient times—absolutely no modern technology. It's stressful work and generally the people who work there don't really last very long."

As Tommy explained this to me, he reached out and began running his fingers through my hair. I liked it short, but lately I just hadn't had time to cut it. Off to the right side, the majority of my hair was tied into a sloppy ponytail. Bangs hung over the left side of my face and Tommy's fingers pulled the tie that held my hair together away, letting it fall all over. It was, more or less, about the length if my shoulders and it didn't look great when it was down, hence why I kept it up. For some reason, it looked decent in a lopsided pony tail.

Changing the subject, Tommy spoke once more. "Your hair is nice and soft, could just use a little bit of styling. The Pharaoh will love it though."

Tommy then ran shampoo through the dark brown locks and he lathered it up, scrubbing the filth from it. I felt dirty, but Tommy's fingers felt really good in my hair. He sighed and stood up, going to fetch a small pail, which he filled with water and poured over my hair. "You just need a little TLC…" he muttered, and he stripped off his jewelry and 'shorts' before he slipped into the water to join me. Though he'd expressed gentility, I slid away from him at first.

"Just relax," he whispered, and his hands snaked around my waist from behind.

He washed every inch of my body quite thoroughly, which left me blushing and embarrassed. But I realized I would have to get over my shyness. If the pharaoh wanted me to… have sex with him, I'd have to be open about my body and not be so… unwilling to have people touch me. Tommy touching me was even too much; I couldn't imagine the pharaoh's hands roaming over my bare skin.

"Are you alright?" Tommy murmured into my ear, his hands massaging soap into my shoulder blades. He'd already cleaned everything else.

"This is all just… a lot to digest, but I suppose there really isn't much I can do about it," I replied, still rigid into his soft hands. He chuckled, rinsing the last of the soap off of my body before he ventured over the side of the tub, hoisting himself out of the water. I blushed for the tenth time in the last hour and looked away from his bare back side. How could the pharaoh compare me to this man's beauty? Why would he ever need anything more than Tommy?

"You'll get used to it, I promise," he said, drying off before pulling his lack of clothing back on. "Now come out so we can style your hair and get you dressed."

I didn't exactly want Tommy to watch me naked but I didn't really have much opposition to him, so I climbed out, keeping my hands folding neatly in front of me.

He had me sit down in front of a vanity, and he took a pair of scissors to my hair, simply shaping the length. I wished he would have cut it short, but the pharaoh wouldn't have liked it. At least, that was my impression from Tommy's opinion. For being a servant, he seemed very intuitive with Pharaoh's wants.

He styled it back up into the lopsided pony tail and let the other side flop down, framing my face. It looked like my old hair, just neater and more attractive. He started on my makeup, which made my face look… beautifully shocking and the helped me get dressed. I felt like I wasn't wearing anything, but at least my most private regions were covered.

"Our Pharaoh is going to love you," Tommy said, smiling and taking one of my hands. He led me out of the bathroom and all the way back to the throne room, and when Pharaoh's eyes fell upon me, I flushed more than I ever had before.

The look on his face told me I looked like I was something to eat.


	2. Chapter 2

**5**

 **Chapter Two**

 **How Can I Stand Here With You (And Not Be Moved By You)**

 **Adam**

I ruled the new era of Egypt when I was fourteen, when the sands turned and the sun dawned upon a new millennium. My father had been Pharaoh before me, and my younger brother, Neil, was to have been my successor if and when I became ill-fit, or did not have an heir of my own. This had been the system, the default of lineage, for as long as I could remember. It had been so when my father was a boy, and when his father was young.

My father had raised my brother and me to the best of his abilities. Being Pharaoh could only grant him so much time with us that often we were left in the care of my mother, or in my father's advisers for instruction. But this had mattered little to me and Neil, for we knew of our father's responsibilities and understood, even then, what it meant to rule a country.

Growing up in those early days, Neil would take to more liberal means—his studies proved more beneficial when he could write and immerse himself in the company of others, while I often preferred quieter, smaller means of conversation. But my baby brother was buoyant then, and prided himself in things I could not understand.

When I was ten, I thought my brother and I would be close forever, that we would remain at each other's side through the wash of age and the ripening wisdom. But the Gods had decided so early in the cusp of my young brother's life that he would not see the bloom of adolescence and adulthood. He'd died from a fever that swept the sands like a black cloud over the sky. Neil, Gods bless his parted soul, held so devoutly to his stubborn nature, and I'd tended to him as best as I could without catching the fever myself.

But my hopes and prayers deviated from the Gods' plans. Neil was taken from our family—from me—when I was twelve.

It may have been the death that struck him so, but my father had felt he was too old, too frail to continue ruling, and crowned me my status shortly after the full moon that bathed Egypt in celebration of my birth. The idea of becoming Pharaoh was, to say the least, terrifying to me. But my father instructed me, keeping me on a straight path to making the best decisions for my people and for our home.

It was unspoken the distaste I had for some of my father's tactics. We lived in an age of post-modernism where water was as readily recycled as natural sources were salvaged and reproduced. In past centuries, Egypt was barren and dying in her burdened sand and it was my great-great-great-grandfather who pulled her from desolation and raised her upon a pedestal of technology and abundant knowledge.

I wanted to combat my father's means of progress. Despite our capabilities as a people and a work force, he insisted that the accused and the faulty should be put as slaves to the pyramids, carving stone out from mountain faces and hauling them with ropes and logs across the dunes to the construction, where they would push and pull them into place. It was mundane, a practice forgotten for more than three-thousand years.

Yet he insisted upon it.

I fought him over it, demanded a less medieval approach to the production, but he would hear none of it, often silencing me before I could stake a deeper argument. I may have been Pharaoh, but he was still my father.

Despite his teachings, I did not take to his hardened personality. I took more to my mother, who was soft and compassionate. It was because of her gentility and empathy that I treated my servants more like they were family than peasants. I fed them well, clothed them well, and saw fit to ensure that their families were well off while they served me.

My father hated this notion. More than once he'd clipped my ear and demanded I stop throwing gold to such needy peoples. True, I was aiding the pockets of hundreds upon hundreds of families, but it meant the world to me to serve my people as they served me. It was no secret that I would rather abandon my wealth to the people of my country than let them starve and despise my rule.

On the eve of my eighteenth birthday, when my father was well into his years, he presented me with a two gifts. He brought the best inks-man in the land to our palace, and, that night, etched with blues and golds into my wrist was the Eye of Horus— the greatest sought of protection apart from wearing an ankh and praying for one's soul. This was the gift he presented as a former ruler to his son, the one everyone would know about for years beyond its placement into my skin. The second gift was one that was, more or less, hidden from public.

As I grew, my preferences for men became known to my family and my servants. This dampened my father's heart for an heir, but my mother convinced him that I was young yet and would make a suitable choice for a successor.

Within my chamber, I found a pleasure servant waiting at the foot of my bed. One who would tend more to my bedroom needs and less to my daily. And he'd been beautiful; he had rich, thick brown hair and bright blue eyes. Where my flesh was tanned like leather, his was softer, like lightened coffee. He, too, was eighteen.

His name had been Alexander. That first night, I'd done little more than kiss him. I had no interest in treating him as an object, even if that might have been my father's intention. I cared for the heart of my people, and had told Alexander that if he was to be mine, he would not be in bondage. He would be my equal in my chamber.

Despite his status to the public as my slave, I fell for him, as most people would when in an intimate relationship with another. And he fell for me. I wanted to marry him. I wanted him to be mine for all eternity. My father had stood against it, but my mother's eyes were soft and her smile was warm, and she stood by me, and Alexander. Though my father was enraged by my romantics, I had grown beyond my years, and he could no longer silence me.

Though, it seemed, just as with Neil.. the Gods did not believe in my love for Alexander. For when we were twenty five, another wave of fevers hit. Many young children and elderly folk fell within the first few weeks. It had come as it had for my brother, and it was a merciless atmosphere of pain and grief.

In the night, it stole my mother. I grieved beside my father for her death. Before her passing, she'd taken my hand once, held it as tight as her failing strength would allow. But her weakness left her quiet, and her palm went lax against my own as her soul departed.

Alexander comforted me to the best of his abilities, but his closeness to me only brought me more sorrow. Under the wash of cream colored light in my room, where electricity glowed silently in the walls and burst forth like flame in rounded cups, there was a darkness that circled Alexander's eyes, and his smile was forced.

In the days following, I watched that darkness grow, and Alexander's soft hands became clammy, his fingers twitched and his body trembled with a chill that resonated in his core and burned hot as it neared his skin. He sweat and he coughed and I spent far too much time with him in his illness, but I could not abandon him. My heart ached for his pain and I wept beside him when he could do little more than open and close his eyes.

Beside him, I'd cursed the Gods for their torment upon our relationship. And Alexander, barely awake in the twilight of his so brief life, had gently rested his hand upon my wrist. The Gods are just jealous, he'd whispered to me.

Father, of course, saw it to be strange that I'd spent so much time with Alexander when he was sick. How he could be so ignorant I would never know. Had he not loved my mother as passionately as I loved Alexander?

He though it was ill-fitting for a ruler to spend so much time with a dying slave, pleasure or not. I ignored him. I wanted to be with Alexander. And, in his last days, I talked with him, sang to him. I think he liked that. More than anything, I wanted so dearly to make love with him, at least one more time, but he was weak with fever. His body had become weak and small, hands displaying how emaciated his sickness had left him. He mirrored my desire, but he was adamant to keep me healthy.

I remember, clearly, that he died, in my arms, under the dark of a new moon.

My father, in his fading years, tried to please me with new servants when my depression ran rampant. But none of them held candles to what Alexander had given me. He had been my first, true love. And he was gone, taken from me. I was angry at the Gods for taking someone so precious to me that was not family, but the grudge could not have been held long, even if I wanted it to. I needed to rule Egypt. I needed to be clear-headed.

I mourned for Alexander for several months before the pain eased itself from my heart. I'd built a small monument to him in my palace, something only I would understand. It would seem like simple art to anyone else, but, to me, there was meaning. In my palace, in the library— Alexander's favorite place— was a sculpture of a stone ring, hollowed out to represent the new moon, and a small, beautifully painted peacock perched in the center of the ring.

When I was twenty-eight my father passed on in his sleep, and though I felt alone and desolate in my rule, his death did not bring the grief that my mother, Neil or Alexander had. And in his passing, I felt nearly justified in changing the way things were, starting with the construction of the pyramids. It was still a labor, and a risk to many, but the men sent to work were given better security, better tools, access to better food and more water. It became more of a community service as opposed to punishment.

Even still, with my changes, the pang of loss and loneliness left me in agony most nights. I decided to have my palace guards bring me the sons of families who could not pay. Normally, the boys and men would have been taken to the pyramids to work straight away. But I had them brought to my throne room. If there was someone— anyone— who could replace the loss I felt, I wanted them. And when they were brought and knelt before me, I surveyed each of them, looking for startling beauty.

It was how I found Tommy.

He was in the mix of sons from the third group to be pulled and sent to work. Of all the boys, he was the only one with brilliant blond hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was pale and there was dirt on his cheeks. But he was beautiful. I chose him, had him get cleaned up and changed into fresh linens. I took my time with Tommy, teaching him the layout of the palace, the meal times and requirements of living with me.

But I did not need to teach him how to love.

He told me, one night, in his village that he'd been with a boy, a few years younger than he, before their families found out. The following morning had been the day that the guards came for the eldest sons. Tommy's family shooed him out without hesitation, seeming to believe that he would die quickly. They felt he deserved it.

Tommy's honesty and trust with me stitched the pains of my loss, but he could not replace my Alexander. He came close, though, in beauty and compassion. But there was something missing, something that didn't fit quite right in the grand tapestry of everything I'd seen and faced and sought.

I kept Tommy with me at all times, more boys coming and going. If I found them ill-equipped to work the pyramids, they worked as cleaning servants or cooks. I found use for everyone who was brought to me, but I still felt like there was a part of me missing.

I'd just turned thirty-one when he came with a group of some-twelve other boys. His dirt-covered skin was pale, his brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. I wondered for a moment, if I were to pull it free, if it would hang around his shoulders. I knelt down to him, lifting his chin and staring into bright… blue eyes.

But his name wasn't Alexander. It was Drake. He was eighteen and, I swore then, he was the reincarnate of my lover. Their bone structures and lithe bodies were similar and their shy demeanor was spot on. I chose him without hesitation, calling Tommy out to get him cleaned up and dressed into linens and jewels. My heart wouldn't stop pounding in my chest as I sat in my throne, waiting for my boys to return. Drake was perfect, the perfect boy to replace the rare occurring pains in my heart. The perfect boy to match with what Tommy had given me.

It felt like hours, but I knew it'd barely been one before Tommy returned with Drake. Both were freshly washed and painted with makeup. Tommy's hair was flipped to one side, exposing a shaved half of his head, as always. His eyes were done up with thick liner and soft, smudges of light charcoal shadow. His lips were painted a soft red, the necklaces and jewels hanging off of his body in perfection. His shorts were flush tight against his hips and upper thighs, his sandals scraping on the stone floors.

I felt my breath halt in my throat when I saw Drake, standing just slightly behind him. His hair was washed and trimmed, hanging neatly along one half of his face, while the other shoulder was adorned in the curl of his ponytail. His blue eyes were rimmed with liner and soft, lavender shadow, barely there unless the light hit it right. His lips were stained with the same red Tommy had used. And though he wasn't decorated in nearly the same amount of jewels, what he wore complimented him. The shorts were snug, curving just right.

I gasped softly, trying to get the air I needed as I stood from my throne. He was my Alexander. Shy and beautiful, though wearing a little less than what most servants had worn ten years ago. I eased down the steps of the platform from where my throne sat, crossing slowly towards them, looking over them both. Tommy's muscles were defined from work and years of servitude. But Drake was thin, boyish, waiting to be broken in.

Drake, instinctively, bowed his head as I came up to them. I smiled, tucking a finger under his chin and lifting his face to see his eyes. They shined in the light that was pouring through the open windows. I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest as I smiled more, looking over at Tommy. I dropped my hand from his chin, caressing Tommy's cheek. He smiled, his cheeks turning red with a blush as I spoke.

"He's beautiful." I murmured, pulling Tommy close and kissing him sweetly. I could feel Drake staring at us as I pulled away, dropping my hand from Tommy's cheek. I looked over and, sure enough, the boy was wide-eyed, before looking away. I smiled at him, before Tommy spoke.

"My Pharaoh?" I turned, eyeing him.

"Yes?" Tommy glanced at Drake before looking back to me.

"He's not yet touched, My Pharaoh." Tommy's words circled around my head and I frowned, looking over to Drake. He was blushing deeply, refusing to look at me. My jaw opened a little as I tried to think of what to say, but there was nothing. Not yet touched? He… He was a…

"A virgin?" I inquired. Drake, still, did not look up at me. He did not speak. Tommy bowed his head and muttered a soft "yes, My Pharaoh". I felt my heart jump as I reached out, cupping Drake's cheek in my hand. Gods, he was so much like Alexander, except for one small detail. This boy was still yet a virgin. Still to be touched. Still to be owned…

"I have long sought for the most beautiful boys, and here I'm presented with one so gorgeous and so pure…" I said, my voice soft. Beneath my clothes, my body felt hot, tight. I'd always wanted a virgin for my own. Alexander and Tommy were never virgins, though Alexander, for my desires, performed like one some nights. Tommy did not possess the talent to perform like such, but he had other abilities, such as his strength against even the most brutal pain.

"I-if it displeases My Pharaoh, I will go and—" Drake began to say, misinterpreting my words. I pulled his head up, pressing my lips to his. He froze beneath me, unsure of what to do or how to move. But that didn't stop the moan from my throat. Virgin lips… He was so perfect.

"No," I whispered against his mouth, "it does not displease me in the least, my beautiful boy. Not in the least." I pulled away to see a bright, red blush staining Drake's pale cheeks. Tommy was smirking next to him, no doubt laughing at his lack of knowledge of love. I smiled sweetly at the young brunette, before looking over at Tommy. His smirk vanished and he became serious.

"Tommy, see to it that Drake is prepared for tonight. Comfort his nervous behavior; teach him what he needs to know. After dinner, I want the two of you waiting in my chamber. I will be late, but I should be there before midnight." I said. Tommy nodded once without hesitation. I wondered if he marveled at Drake's beauty as much as I. I smiled at them both, motioning for them to leave. I hated their absence, but there were other pressing matters I had to tend to.


	3. Chapter 3

**5**

 **Chapter Three**

 **What Kind Of Teacher Could Do This?  
Tommy**

I expected today to be like any other day; the pharaoh going about his business, seeing a couple dozen boys that did not please him, attend to more of his affairs, have dinner and then call me to his chambers for a little late night dessert. But, around noon, those plans were distorted beyond a measure even I could not have anticipated.

Pharaoh had never taken much interest in any of the boys presented to him, aside from me, and I never really expected that to change. Our relationship by no means was picturesque in romantic perfection, but it was comfortable. It was a familiar thing that I grew to enjoy more than what might have been expected for a pleasure servant.

But even I had to admit that such a fairytale romance could not last forever, and that someday Pharaoh would bring another boy to the bed we shared. When he knelt down in front of a pale, beautiful brunette, I knew the day had come at last. I wasn't jealous because I knew that, since Pharaoh had chosen this boy as another servant, I would get to know him just as well as our king would.

His name was Drake; he was young and he was exceptionally beautiful. There was no doubt in my mind as to why Pharaoh had chosen him, and I was pleased to be the boy's mentor. What I was most excited about, truthfully, was the fact that he was a virgin—completely untouched, pure and incomparably beautiful in his innocence. I was sure I would enjoy that detail almost as much as my pharaoh would.

"Come on," I whispered to him once Pharaoh had dismissed us, and I took his arm gently in my hand before leading him away from the throne room. We would eat in several hours, and I hoped that the allotted time frame would give me enough of window to, at least, teach him how to kiss, and to be a little less bashful.

"Do you really think he's pleased with me?" Drake whispered to me as I took him through several winding halls. If this boy was anything like me, it would take him a long time to get used to the confusing lay out of the palace. By no means was the structure vast and overtly grand as they might have once been. But it the palace did possess an exuberant amount of architectural detail. The main building alone was a mile long, and some half-mile wide, with corridors and rooms, chambers and great and small halls for entertaining and study. Luckily for him, he had me to guide him until he was able to find his way around.

"Who? The Pharaoh? Of course he's pleased with you," I said, smirking just slightly. The look on our pharaoh's face when he saw Drake had been absolutely priceless. "He's always wanted a virgin to make his own, but he's never been able to find one. On top of that, you are beautiful. He already loves you. I can tell," I added, watching with much amusement as a wild blush rushed across Drake's face.

He looked over at me, his bright blue eyes wide with what looked like awe and just a little bit of fear. A tremor tickled his tone. "Tonight, he's going to—" I chuckled, nodding.

"Well, yes, of course. It is his right and your duty to allow him. I'm certain he'll be gentle with you, though," I explained.

I stopped at a rather large, wooden door decorated with thousands of small hieroglyphics, all of which, together, painted the story of ancient times and long lost lineages of pharaohs and queens. This was the door to my chamber; I slept and spent most of my free time here when I wasn't accompanying the pharaoh. I pushed the door open and ushered Drake through the frame.

"Are you afraid of him?" I mused, closing the door behind us once the brunette had passed the threshold.

"Well… I'm afraid he won't be happy with me, and he'll want to dispose of me," he muttered, turning to face me. I smiled, reaching out and cupping his cheek with my right hand.

"Drake, Pharaoh has looked through hundreds and hundreds of boys to find one like you. Your inexperience doesn't make you unable to please him. In fact, it makes him want you even more," I whispered, cupping both of his cheeks in my hands, rubbing gentle circles into the soft skin.

His blush deepened; I could only assume that he would be sporting such color throughout the entire night. "But I don't even know how to kiss properly," he whispered, sounding even more bashful, and I chuckled again. This boy was too adorable.

"Don't worry about that. I'm going to teach you all about that right now," I said, dropping my hands from Drake's cheeks to take his hands instead. I pulled him over to my bed and sat down, pulling his thinner frame into my lap.

"Won't Pharaoh be kind of… upset if we…?" he asked, frowning just a little.

"If we had sex, yes, he'd probably be extremely upset with me. But just teaching you how to kiss won't be so bad. I'll leave the more intimate things for our pharaoh to teach you," I said, brushing some loose strands of chocolate hair out of Drake's red face, "however, you will have to get used to me touching you so intimately."

"What do you mean?" he asked, instinctively turning his face into the warmth of my hand. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that his boy had never experienced any sort of passion before. I could not understand how someone of his appearance could make it eighteen years into life without so much as one kiss. By the time I was eighteen, I had done many dirty things that, no doubt, Drake would hardly be able to fathom.

I wrapped on arm around his waist to ensure he didn't fall out of my lap, and used my free hand to cup his cheek again. "I'm sure our pharaoh will want us to _perform_ for him once he's made you his," I whispered.

He really didn't seem to understand my meaning, but before he could even ask me, his face turned a deep scarlet and his eyes drifted away from mine. I smiled softly, pressing my fingers into his cheek a little, forcing his gaze to meet mine. "Don't worry, I'll never treat you without kindness," I whispered, and when his eyes wavered before returning to mine once more, I pressed my lips to his.

He froze under my kiss, much like he had done for our pharaoh, but I didn't pull back. My lips melded with his and he slowly relaxed into my embrace. It was truly a marvel how this boy was so completely pure.

Once he was relaxed, he started to kiss me back. It was slow-going and awkward for him, but he quickly picked up a great kissing technique. He was quite the natural, which simply led me to believe that our pharaoh would be extremely pleased with him come tomorrow morning. His lips parted slightly, and I simply took the invitation to slip my tongue through the curve of his lips. At first he froze up again, trying to adjust to the sensation of having another's tongue occupying his mouth.

I teased and explored the warm cavern of his mouth with my tongue and, eventually, I was able to pull a moan from the boy's throat. That must have been something he'd never produced before, and I could practically feel his face heating up. When my tongue disappeared and I pulled back just slightly, he was breathing heavily, and his face was a deep maroon color. He actually let a soft whine leave his lips, and I smiled.

"You're doing great," I told him, and I eased him off of my lap and onto the bed, his back positioned against the headboard, "but tonight, you are going to have to let him do more than just kiss you," I added, straddling over his lean hips. Drake inhaled sharply, his eyes wandering my body before finding my face.

"I figured. I haven't had sex but that doesn't mean I don't know what it is…" he whispered, and I smiled just slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips to which he, almost effortlessly, returned to me.

"It's alright to be bashful and embarrassed; it's your first encounter with such intimate things, but when Pharaoh touches you, let him," I mumbled, my lips hovering just centimeters away from him, "he'll run his hands over every inch of your body, including places you aren't used to having people touch, but you have to let him have his way with you." He was shaking lightly, but he nodded and I simply pressed my lips to his again.

This time, he didn't freeze up. His lips worked with mine, and when I entered his mouth for a second time, his tongue reacted. He pressed back against my own, his hands reaching up to grip my arms. For a moment he held me there, licking my tongue and my teeth before retracting his tongue, kissing me with only his lips. His nose pressed against my cheek before he opened his mouth again, the tip of his tongue darting out to trace my lip before sliding into my mouth once more.

I wasn't sure how long we had been kissing, but it left both of us—me more so than him—a little hot and bothered. It wasn't difficult to see that Drake's body wanted to continue, but I wasn't entirely sure if Drake, himself, knew what was happening to his body, or why he might have felt the hunger boiling in the pit of his stomach.

When I broke our most recent kiss, he let out an estranged and soft pitched whine, and I couldn't hold the laugh. It was just too adorable. He was so sweet and innocent; I was actually a little jealous of our pharaoh, because he would be the one to teach this boy how to love.

"I am sorry, but we should be making ourselves decent for supper. Afterwards, we need to go to Pharaoh's chambers, and wait for him there." I said.

"Alright," Drake breathed out, running his fingers through his hair in attempts to fix it. He didn't do a very good job, so I ran my fingers through it slowly, smoothing out all of the problem areas, and I made sure his lopsided pony tail was tight enough to keep his hair from falling out. I was sure our pharaoh would want the liberties of taking the tie out and watch as the hair cascaded down around the youth's face later tonight.

"Let's go. It will take around ten minutes to reach the dining hall. If we leave now, we should make it there on time," I told him, standing and offering my hand to Drake, who took it and allowed me to pull him off of the bed and back onto his feet. I looped my arm with his and we departed the room.

"How big is this palace? I've heard stories of how many rooms it has, but the stories change every time," he said, he body pressed rather close to mine. I couldn't blame the boy. He must have felt so out of place here and right now I was his only source of comfort.

"The Pharaoh has told me that from the east wall to the west is exactly one mile, and north to south is half of that," I answered, holding Drake close to me without holding him _too_ close. He gasped in amazement and his eyes explored what he, himself, was too afraid to. When the pharaoh had chosen me to be his servant he had showed me the palace for the first time, and I had the same feeling of wanting to explore and touch, but being too afraid to do so.

"This is so beautiful and… magnificent. I've never imaged things this beautiful could even exist," he said as we passed through chamber after chamber. Some held endless shelves of books—though nothing as remarkable as the library—other held paintings, statues, plush pillows and chaises for conversing and relaxing.

"I had the same view of this place when I first came here. It's breathtakingly beautiful. The pharaoh's chambers are, by far, the most impressive of the palace, though," I mentioned. Pharaoh had every luxury a king could ever hope for, and then some.

Drake fell silent at that, probably a little troubled by the idea of the pharaoh's chambers. Within the next hour, he would be in there with me, and within the next few after? He would probably be losing his innocence. I knew the idea frightened him; the tightness of his arm with my own and the lost, wandering path his eyes took along the walls proved nothing else. I could only imagine what depth his fear took, to want to be perfect for Pharaoh but also to cling to that which he'd given no one else.

I pressed a silent kiss into his hair before we entered the dining hall. Though we had been close on time, we were not the last to arrive. Pharaoh was seated at the head of the table, as he always did. I took Drake to his left side, while I sat at his right. Cassidy and Brad, Pharaoh's two longest and closest advisors and political consultants joined us—Cassidy to my right, Brad to Drake's left.

On most occasions, guests of honor or distant friends would join in the nightly meal. But, though it was rare occurrence, supper would be provided to only Pharaoh, the advisors, and me. Now with Drake in the mix, there was an extra plate.

Prior to the first course, Pharaoh pressed a kiss to mine and Drake's temples before grasping the hands of his advisors. Pharaoh was not a man to often make thanks unto the Gods for food and good fortune; rather he would bless his companions for seeing another evening with him. He expressed gratitude differently than his father had, though I'd never met the late Pharaoh.

When we began eating, Drake politely kept his bites small, but his hunger must have been ravenous for he dug in to his food and, for the most part, ignored most everything else around him. He did not flinch or freeze at Pharaoh's hand on his thigh, but he did note it at one point before relaxing.

Pharaoh spoke mostly to Brad and Cassidy, which left me to silently observe as Drake took smaller and slower bites as the second course came and went. No doubt his appetite was large, as he was still growing, but I could only assume that a life of poverty had granted a small belly. And to have so much food before him left so many opportunities. I smiled at him, waving my fork down against my plate when his eyes met mine, telling him to slow down. It would serve little good to become ill during our midnight activities.

As the third course came out, Pharaoh and Cassidy spoke more often, with Brad only offering small quips and interjections when he felt necessary. Or, perhaps, it was only when he was paying attention. More than once I caught him sneaking sideways glances at the brunette, whose focus began to deter from his plate as he became less able to eat.

I was not the only one to notice these looks. Drake picked up on them as well, and smiled softly, politely, but his fingers curled tighter around his fork, and his jaw clenched when he took another bite. When I turned away from him, Pharaoh's eyes were sweeping over Drake and Brad before shifting back to Cassidy, and though his tone was pleasant and immersed with Cassidy's details, the tightness of his lip proved his acknowledgement of Drake's discomfort.

The meal finished, though Pharaoh remained seated, drinking wine from his cup. I excused myself and Drake as a servant boy came and rushed our dirty plates away to the kitchen and cleaning room just off of the dining hall we were in. Pharaoh pressed a hand to my wrist and I bent down as he whispered.

"Ease his mind. I'll be with you shortly." I nodded, straightening before taking Drake's hand in mine, leading him away from the table.

We walked in a comfortable silence, and I led Drake down a long and wide hall that ended with two rich, chocolate brown doors, larger than my own, decorated in gold, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and opals. The gems were used to color the stories of pharaohs of ages past, all leading to Pharaoh, now. They loomed over us, spanning over fifty feet up into the air, set against washed limestone walls, lights illuminating each grain and etched picture.

I pressed my hands against a wide block of empty wood, and a smaller, more appropriate, door opened up in front of us. The mass of it all was more for show, although the great doors could open with enough manpower.

The wide, doe-eyed demeanor did not falter from Drake's face as I turned a dial on the wall, bringing up the gentle hum of electricity into the room. Everything was bathed in warm golden light, akin to flame or sunlight.

. "Take a seat. We'll be waiting a little while," I said, closing the door behind us. He sat nervously on a step, one of a few that lead down to a sunken, massive bed with dozens upon dozens of pillows on it. "You'll have to get up on the bed eventually," I said, taking a seat on the edge of the soft sea of comforters. "Might as well come join me now."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: In the still of your hands anything can happen now**

 **Drake's POV**

My heart pounded in my chest as I stood up from the stairs, taking cautious steps down towards the bed. I knew that I had to trust Tommy. I had to trust him and the Pharaoh's will. I had to trust that they wouldn't hurt me; especially Tommy. Had he not said that he wouldn't treat me without kindness? Had he not been tender and slow when… When teaching me to kiss?

But it wasn't, truly, Tommy I was worried about. It was the Pharaoh. I knew that he meant no harm, Tommy had assured me he was a good person. But I couldn't say for myself. I'd been taken from my family to serve him in his _bedroom_ , for Rah's sake! I'd been pulled from my home, my parents, my brothers to be his pleasure slave. True, I wasn't able to find well paying work, but this was something I wasn't expecting in the least. And to top it off, I wasn't… Exactly fit for the job.

I didn't want to call Tommy out as being a whore, but he knew what he was doing. He'd obviously done all of this before. He'd kissed, he'd been in the Pharaoh's bed… I hadn't. I hadn't kissed before Tommy "taught" me. And now I was expected to spread my legs and be touched by the _Pharaoh of Egypt._

I trembled, taking the last few steps across to the massive bed. Tommy sat on the edge, a sea of comforters and pillows around him. I climbed up next to him and he motioned for me to sit more in the center, my back to him. I frowned, turning away and feeling his strong hands rubbing my shoulders, working out the tension that had built through dinner.

Could I have been blamed, though? I was sitting at the Pharaoh's left hand side with one of his trusted advisers beside me, a good swarm of people I didn't know around me. The only person of comfort was Tommy, and he was sitting across the table from me. Though, I had to say, Pharaoh had been good to me at the meal. His hands were warm when they covered mine, soft and large. Ensuring me that everything was fine.

Though, my biggest issue with dinner was the adviser sitting next to me. I did not know his name, but he kept staring over at me and smiling. Normally, this kind of behavior wouldn't have bothered me. But he was a stranger and he kept looking at me like I was some prize to be won instead of a person.

"What are you thinking about?" Tommy asked, and I blinked, pulling myself from my thoughts. I turned my head slightly to the left, seeing his fingers curled around my shoulders, pressing and rubbing. I sighed softly, letting my eyes slip shut and my body relax under his touch.

"Everything… My whole life has changed today… I was taken from my house, presented to the Pharaoh of all Egypt, cleaned up, trimmed, painted and I sat beside him at his dining table. I ate his meal, drank his wine. And now I'm here, waiting in his bed for him…" I sighed, shaking my head slowly. My heart was racing in my chest as Tommy's fingers worked out a knot in my lower back. I groaned, arching slightly as his fingers pressed deeper into my skin.

"I understand. It's a lot to digest at one time, but you will get used to it. It'll take some time, patience and trust, but it'll all fall into place." Tommy's voice was soft, reassuring. I smiled slightly as he shifted his hands back up to my shoulders. But he didn't rub them. He simply held onto them. I frowned, turning my head to face him as he leaned forward, kissing between my shoulders. I trembled slightly, again, before relaxing into his hold. He said I had to trust him and the Pharaoh. And, well, tonight was a good night to start.

"Does it just come so easily, though?" I asked, tilting my head back and resting it against his. He chuckled, kissing my skin again.

"It depends on the person. Because of my past, I had no problem being taken from my house. And when the Pharaoh told me what he expected of me, sure, I was a little nervous, but I wasn't really afraid of him. He's been our ruler for years, and he's done our land a good service. Done the people a good service. The trust will come. One of these days, he'll most likely pull you aside for some quality time between yourselves. It's what he did for me." I frowned, lifting my head up.

"Quality time?" I inquired, and he chuckled again.

"Yes. A… Get to know you, type of thing. It's just a talk over a nice meal or during a stroll through the palace. He's not really as intimidating as he appears. He's gentle." Tommy explained, and I nodded once. His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me up close to his chest. I felt my face heat up and I tensed slightly.

"Drake…" Tommy muttered into my hair. I sighed, trying to relax. "The Pharaoh won't be displeased with your lack of experience. He'll be displeased if you don't trust him. And the only way you're going to learn trust is to start trusting me." He whispered. He sounded hurt that I was so rigid. I bit down on my bottom lip, reclining against him and feeling relaxation seeping through my blood, starting in my toes and working its way up.

"Good… I'm going to touch you— I want you to stay relaxed, alright?" He asked, his hands resting on my thighs. I wanted to tense. I wanted to get up and leave. How could I be blamed for such? A man that I'd just met today admitted he was going to _touch_ me. And all he wanted was for me to relax? Sure, right.

"Alright," I whispered, keeping my eyes closed. If I didn't watch what he was doing, I hoped to be okay. I inhaled slowly, feeling his hands shifting up my thighs and across my stomach. I bit down on my bottom lip, breathing as evenly as possible as his fingers left hot trails in my chest. One slid over a nipple and the sensations I felt were… Startling. I gasped softly, arching away from his body before relaxing again. His lips pressed a soft kiss to my neck as a gentle moan rumbled in my throat.

"Good, you're doing so good," he whispered into the shell of my ear. I moaned again, squeezing my eyes shut as his hands traveled back down, fingers tickling the insides of my thighs. I moaned again, inhaling deeply through my nose. He whispered softly into my ear, but I wasn't really paying any attention to him. My face felt hot and I knew I was blushing.

His fingers slid up along the insides of my thighs, touching me gently against the fabric of my shorts. I gasped, arching again and moaning louder than before. He froze, waiting for me to relax before touching me again, a little harder than before. I whimpered, my eyes still squeezed shut as he slid a hand past the fabric, grazing his fingers along my bare skin. My mouth dropped open slightly, air rushing in and out through my lungs.

"You're doing so good…" He whispered, his fingers trailing around the base of a growing erection. I may not have had sex before, but I knew how to pleasure myself… sort of. I yelped softly, arching again. His other hand reached up, curling around my hip to hold me down. Tommy pressed kiss after kiss into my shoulders and neck, stroking me gently. My face was burning and my skin felt tight.

"Mmm, Tommy…" I moaned without even thinking. The hand that was clasped to my hip vanished, and he cupped my face, turning my head so he could press his lips to mine. I kissed him deeply, as he had taught me earlier. His tongue slid between my teeth and I moaned, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. My heart was thrashing in my chest and I was sure we would have continued if it weren't for a voice that was heard—

"Well, well, what have we here?" Tommy and I pulled away, gasping to see the Pharaoh standing in the doorway at the top of the small staircase. The blond's hand vanished from my shorts and we both sat up quickly, on our knees on the bed. The Pharaoh chuckled, shutting the door behind him before quickly making his way down the stairs. My face was burning as Tommy knelt next to me, his head bowed like mine.

"Tell me, Tommy, what, exactly, were you doing to Drake?" The Pharaoh's voice wasn't cold or displeased. In fact, it sounded amused more than anything. Tommy was tense beside me, which left me uneasy.

"I… I was just trying to teach him trust, My Pharaoh." He said softly, his voice sounding much younger, guilty, even. The Pharaoh laughed a rich kind of laugh that made my skin tingle. It was too beautiful for words. I heard a clatter of sandals falling to the floor, along with necklaces and jewels. A shift of the bed and two, large hands were pulling our heads up. The Pharaoh was naked with the exception of his trousers, which hung loose around his hips. His hair hung around his face neatly, his makeup thick and beautiful. I could see ink littered across the tops of his shoulders and on his wrists.

"My beautiful boys… Are you afraid that I'm displeased with your actions?" The Pharaoh asked, and Tommy and I both nodded together, our chins still held in his hands. He merely smiled, chuckling softly to himself before releasing up. "Hardly. Tommy, I'm glad you were aiding Drake into warming up to his new life. And Drake," he eyed me, smiling warmly, "I'm pleased that you are putting yourself into Tommy's hands. I hope you do the same for me," he said, cupping my cheek in his palm and leaning forward.

I knew what he wanted— what he expected— and I leaned forward, too, meeting him halfway into a kiss that was better than what I'd imagined. With Tommy's guidance, I knew how to move my mouth and shift for different angles and different depths of the kiss. When mine and Pharaoh's tongues glided, I shivered at the moan that rippled from his throat into mine. He pulled away, breathing gently.

"Oh, Tommy, you've taught him well…" He said, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't stop the smile that tugged at my lips. Pharaoh's cheeks flamed a delicate red and I felt another skip in beat. Even the ruler of Egypt could become flustered. He kissed me again, gently, but did not prod my mouth with his tongue. He pulled away just as quickly as he'd gotten close, and turned to Tommy.

"Open him up for me." Pharaoh whispered. I felt my heart begin to thrash as Tommy nodded once, turning towards me. He reached out, slowly, palming my face to kiss me. I moaned, tasting the familiar cavern of his mouth and his tongue. I wasn't fully aware of the fact that his hands were roaming until I felt his fingers, cold to my blistering skin, digging at my shorts. I pulled away quickly, staring wide eyed at Tommy. He gasped before I felt a looming presence hovering behind me.

Warm hands trailed down my arms as Pharaoh pressed a kiss into my hair. "It's alright, my beautiful boy. It's alright. He won't hurt you. Trust him… Trust _me_." He whispered. I moaned softly, relaxing against him, much as I had done for Tommy just five minutes before. Tommy's agile hands went back to work, slowly stripping me of the only article of clothing I was wearing. Pharaoh kissed my neck gently as Tommy threw my shorts to the floor. I was breathing hard and moaning every few moments.

"Relax, Drake… It'll be easier if you relax," Pharaoh whispered. I whined, opening my eyes briefly to see Tommy licking his fingers, letting them drip with saliva. I frowned for a moment before he pushed my legs apart. I inhaled sharply, my erection curving against my stomach as I felt a digit nudging into me. I tensed, throwing my head back against Adam's— _Pharaoh's_ — shoulder, moaning and whining.

"Relax, my pet, relax…" He reiterated as Tommy pushed a single finger all the way in. I whined, arching slightly and tightening around his finger. I moaned again as he pulled it almost all the way out before pushing it in again.

I didn't know how long it took or how I even managed to keep myself from coming undone, what with Tommy touching me like this and the Pharaoh biting and kissing my neck. But I did it even as Tommy pushed in a second finger, scissoring me. I arched, crying out softly before falling against the Pharaoh's chest again, breathing hard and whining. I heard Pharaoh moaning behind me, which caused my face to blush massively as Tommy pushed in a third.

"Tommy, I can't take it anymore…" Pharaoh mumbled to Tommy, but he said it in my ear. I moaned as Tommy practically punched into me. I shook and trembled lightly until his fingers hit a spot inside of me. Stars danced into my vision and I arched again, screaming out. Pharaoh moaned again into my ear as Tommy pulled his fingers out of me. I gasped, leaning heavily against the black-haired man. His hands were raking into my sides as Tommy shuffled off of the bed, retreating to another part of the chamber. My eyes fluttered open and closed repeatedly until he came back. Pharaoh pushed me off of his chest and into Tommy's arms. I was feeling jelly-limbed and aching hard between my legs.

"You're doing so well…" Tommy whispered into my ear as I turned my head, looking over at Pharaoh as he pulled his pants off, tossing them aside. My eyes widened as I stared at him… His face was beautiful, but I quickly became aware that the rest of his body was just as beautiful too. I moaned softly, feeling a twitch in my erection. My fingers itched to touch myself as Pharaoh lathered himself with some kind of lotion or cream… Something… Oh, Rah…

Pharaoh leaned against a surplus of pillows, reaching out for me. Tommy pushed me gently towards him, easing me onto my knees, just above his hips. I panted heavily, my chest heaving and caving with breath. Pharaoh gripped my hips tightly, his eyes clouded with lust. I bit down on my lip as Tommy knelt behind me, kissing my shoulder gently.

The two of them eased me down onto Pharaoh, his member pushing into me. I couldn't help but whine and scream as he stretched me… I felt like I was ripping in half at the seams. They eased me slowly, but every moment was agonizingly painful, considering it was my first time. Tears sprung up in my eyes and I choked on a scream, taking in lungfulls of air like it was the last thing I would ever do.

"You're doing amazing, Drake… So good…" Tommy whispered in my ear, rubbing my arms as I finally came to a rest, nestled against Pharaoh with his member shoved full inside. It felt like every breath that I took was one that was making my lungs collapse. Everything felt tight, compressed, painful.

A moment later, Pharaoh was rocking his hips, and Tommy was helping me to move with him, move in mirror with him. If he lifted his hips, I came down on him more. If he moved away, I moved away. The first few thrusts hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced, but as the motions became steadier, easier, the pain began to subside. Pharaoh nudged up into the spot that Tommy had hit with his fingers and I arched into the blond, moaning. My eyes were squeezed shut and my jaw was open for air. There was no such thing as closing my mouth at this point.

"So… Good…" Pharaoh muttered, moaning and holding tight to my hips. Tommy's hands rested above his, guiding me to move just right. The blue-eyed Egyptian King hit that spot again and I threw my head back, wailing loudly. I couldn't take much more of this. It felt amazing, but I couldn't take much more… I was coming apart at the seams and I felt that, if he were to hit that spot again, I would pass out from pleasure…

"P-please," I whined, my eyes screwed shut and my jaw clenched as I groaned loudly. Pharaoh gasped for breath as his thrusts came faster. Tommy's hands tightened on my waist, still trying to help.

"Tommy, let him go…" Pharaoh mumbled. Tommy seemed reluctant at first, but eventually his hands disappeared. I felt lightheaded and consumed with fire, but I kept moving with Pharaoh. I matched his speed, met his thrusts, coming down so hard he was pushing deeper into me each time. My hands clenched into the comforters beneath us as Pharaoh spoke again.

" _Touch him_." It wasn't rude or harsh, but it was, in fact, a command. I felt Tommy's fingers curl around my member, pumping hard two or three times before I screamed, white flashing across my vision. For a few moments I didn't think. I don't believe that I even breathed. I was only aware of moving my hips and feeling gooey, sticky warmth surging up into my body before I collapsed. Tommy tried to keep me from falling, but it was no use. I fell onto top of Pharaoh, my face nuzzled into his neck, panting hot breaths into his skin.

Pharaoh's hands were gentle, warm to my sweaty skin as he rubbed my back. He made circles in my skin, whispering sweetly in my ear. I didn't understand what he was saying, nor did I care. I was exhausted. I was in _pain_. Rah, was I in pain. He shifted, sliding out of me and tearing a cry from my lips. Pharaoh shifted me to let me rest on my back. I couldn't keep my eyes open, but I was aware of Tommy, moaning softly before gasping and crying out gently. I forced my eyes open, seeing Pharaoh's lips pressed to Tommy's neck, his hand around Tommy's member. I moaned, letting my eyes drift shut.

Lips pressed to mine and I felt myself being pulled into large, warm arms. Before I fell asleep, there was only one coherent thought drifting through my mind—

 _I'm not a virgin anymore._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: I guess it is what it is**

 **Adam's POV**

My hands gripped the boy's hips tightly, my back arching as I groaned, releasing up into his body. My heart was thrashing in my chest, my skin coated in sweat. My mouth was opened in moans and pants and, before I knew it, Drake fell over me, his face buried into my neck. He was shaking, whining with pleasure. I opened my eyes, looking into his hair before seeing Tommy behind him, rigid with heat. I pressed a kiss into Drake's hair, rubbing his back slowly as I pulled out of him. He groaned, falling limp against me again.

Tommy reached over, pulling him off of me and letting him fall into the pillows. His pale skin was drenched, his face was red from blushing. I reached over, pushing the bangs that had fallen loose from his ponytail out of his face. He was so beautiful. Once so pure, and now… All mine. I smiled softly, letting my fingers trail against his skin, but he seemed too far gone to notice.

"My Pharaoh…" Tommy whined. I turned my head, smirking at him. He was sitting on his knees, his erection curving up against his stomach. I chuckled, shifting over towards the blond, cupping his face in the palm of my hand. He arched into my chest as my fingers trailed against his member, and he shivered. "Pharaoh…" He whispered into my mouth as I kissed him gently.

It didn't take long to bring Tommy to his end. He was quiet in his moans, letting Drake drift into a slumber. His nails dug into my shoulders as I kissed and bit down on his neck, leaving purple and blue marks on his throat. My hand tightened, pulling once more as he came onto our stomachs and chests. He moaned, slumping against me. I kissed the top of his head before cleaning him off and letting him lie down. I kissed Drake once more before falling between them, pulling them both into my arms…

I woke up, late, the next morning, feeling well rested. I smiled, stretching slightly before feeling arms wrapped around my stomach. I glanced down, seeing Drake's arms around my waist and Tommy's just above his. I stared down at them for a moment, feeling my heart pounding gently in my chest. Both boys… So beautiful. I left a kiss in Tommy's hair, which caused him to stir beside me. I turned my attention to the still-sleeping Drake.

So young. So innocent and pure until yesterday. My fingers touched his cheek, which, normally, would've woken Tommy up in an instant, it didn't seem to have the same effect on Drake. Still so much to learn and get used to. The poor thing. I'd brought him into a world completely different from his own. In truth, I felt guilty for what I'd done. Not only did I have my guards take him from his home, but I stripped him down to almost nothing and I stole something precious of him…

But wasn't this better than working on pyramids? Wasn't this better than dying or starving back home? Besides, I needed someone to keep Tommy company when I had no need of him. Despite also desiring a new boy for myself, to add variety, I knew Tommy was lonely. His job didn't require him to work with many other people, and all of the other servants were too busy with their lines of duty to talk to him. I was his only source of company aside from my advisers, Cassidy and Brad. But they were often busy with their own affairs. And I, too.

"My Pharaoh?" Tommy whispered, and I turned my head, facing him. He looked well rested, a gentle glow on his skin. Warm sunlight poured through the windows of the chamber, illuminating his skin. I smiled softly, touching his cheek, feeling the skin heat as he blushed.

"We shall let him rest. He's had a long night." I muttered, referring to Drake. Tommy nodded once before sitting up. The three of us were lying atop the pillows and blankets. Because of the Egyptian sun, the land was often hot and dry, even at night. The blankets were more for comfort and decoration than actual use. My eyes wandered down Tommy's lithe body as he slid off of the bed, retrieving his shorts and necklaces from the floor.

I turned, pressing another kiss to Drake's cheek before sliding off of the bed myself, gathering up my clothes and jewels. I stepped into my trousers, glancing at my shirt and necklaces before deciding against wearing any of them. Although, I did pluck a gold chained necklace with a deep, sapphire pendant hanging off of it, and letting it rest around my neck. It was the last gift my mother had given to me before she died.

I glanced over at Tommy, seeing that he was dressed, but his hair was a mess and his makeup was smeared. "Tommy, go to your room and wash up, and then meet me outside my door." I told him. He bowed his head before climbing the stairs up to the large, double doors and stepping out. I looked over to Drake, who was curled on his right side, his head resting where my shoulder had been. Asleep, he was even more beautiful in appearance. He looked younger. Vulnerable. _So much like Alexander_.

I frowned, pushing away his name before pulling my jewelry and shirt into my arms, taking them up to a large wardrobe I had at the top of the stairs, across the chamber from the doors. Opposite the doors, facing the north, was a large wall that spanned only a good one hundred feet, before opening to two large archways that led to balconies, overlooking the northern half of the city. It was these archways that let in most of the light. Another factor was the sun roofs— sections of the ceiling cut out to reveal the sky. Because it rarely rained, there was no need for a closed ceiling. But if the chances of rain, all it took was a push of a button, and glass would seal the windows.

I dropped the necklaces onto a long, wide vanity table, a mirror placed behind it. I set the shirt down, too, before crossing to the wardrobe and pulling it open. Trousers, shirts, vests, all clothes of all colors and styles. I smiled, before reaching in and pulling out a pair of clean, dark purple trousers. I set them down on the table, peeling off the ones I'd worn yesterday and sliding into the fresh pair. They hung at my hips and ended just below my knees, baggy and comfortable, exposing my lean calf muscles. I reached in for a white vest, slipping it on and letting it hang open, exposing my chest.

I shut the wardrobe, crossing to the vanity and fixing my eyeliner, but nothing more. I stood up straight, deciding against wearing sandals as I crossed down passed the bed and up to the doors, pushing them open slowly. Tommy was standing, waiting as I had instructed for him to be. His hair was fixed and his makeup was clean, neat and simple. A touch of eyeliner and some red stained lips. Nothing too dramatic, but very, very beautiful.

I started walking down the long, wide stretch of hall, heading west through the palace. Tommy fell in step beside me, silent unless I spoke to him first. We walked slowly, enjoying the warmth of the sun as it cascaded through columns and windows. The stone work was intricate, and the murals were designed beautifully. I often found myself grazing through my home just to stare and marvel at everything.

"Before nightfall, I want you to prepare a room for Drake. Show him more of the palace. Get him familiar with his surroundings. I want him to feel at home here; safe." I instructed and the blond nodded once without saying a word. If any of the servants passed us, they bowed their heads in respect and I would just smile at them. I only called them servants to be technical. In truth, they were like my children. I cared for them, made sure they ate well and didn't work beyond their physical limits.

I wasn't a slave owner, like my father had a tendency to be. I was a care provider, to say the least. And I was always more than willing to lend a hand when I wasn't busy doing something else. Normally, my service was required, mostly, with guiding the new servants to where they were supposed to go. They were always so bashful, it was adorable. It didn't give me a large ego or a big head, like it had for my father. It made me feel respected, honored, and, more often than not, I requested them to not be so shy.

"What do you think of him, Tommy? Of Drake, I mean?" I asked after a long moment, turning my attention over to the blond. He thought for a moment, blushing softly before answering me.

"He's still rather shy, but he's beautiful. And he learns quickly. I believe that, after another week or so, he should have most of the layout down and he'll be a little more open for trust and conversation. Right now, he's still quiet." Tommy explained, and I nodded once in understanding.

"He seems to have a fondness for you." I commented, and Tommy blushed madly, looking away from me.

"I… I told him I would never treat him without kindness, My Pharaoh. I don't think he has reason not to have some trust in me." Tommy said softly, his voice shy and quiet, much like he had been when he was first brought to the palace for me. I licked my lips a little as we turned a corner, walking down another long stretch of hallway.

"What I saw last night was not just trust, Tommy. He put himself, entire— body and soul, it seemed— into your hands. I think that excels trust on even a small level." I said gently, looking down at the blond. He refused to look up at me as we walked, which made a few short moments rather silent and awkward.

"I-if I may, My Pharaoh… Why him?" Tommy asked, still not looking. I felt my heart lurch up into my throat, forcing a breath to stop in my chest. I inhaled slowly after forcing the lump back down, licking my lips again. The sun was burning into my skin after every window, and the warm gusts of air that blew through the halls left my skin itchy and dry, but my hairline was damp with sweat.

"We needed another boy…" I said simply, hoping to leave the conversation at that. There was a level of trust between myself and Tommy that allowed us to have conversations most other servants and myself would never share. He wasn't just my pleasure slave, he was a friend. A lover. Though not like Alexander, but a lover none the less…

"I do not believe that is all. I know you sometimes say that I'm alone too often when you're busy with your work, and, the sudden company is nice, but that's not the only reason you kept looking again. Were you looking for a replacement? Did you choose him because he reminds you of _him_?" Tommy inquired and I felt my throat clench shut for a moment.

"His similarities to Alexander made him stand out from everyone else, yes. But that's not why I chose him." I said, my voice a little harsher than I meant it to be. Well, it wasn't _entirely_ why I chose Drake. Tommy sighed softly, turning his head away. I let out a breath, placing my hand on Tommy's shoulder and stopping him from walking further. He turned towards me but kept his head bowed in respect. I tucked my finger under his chin, lifting his face slowly to look him in the eye.

"I apologize. I had no right to snap at you. However, the reason of my choice for Drake is my business and mine alone, Tommy. If I want you to know, I will tell you. Until that time, please leave it be." I said gently, though my words were serious. Tommy's eyes shifted back and forth between mine and he nodded once.

"As you wish, My Pharaoh." He muttered. I ran my fingers through his hair before leaning down and kissing him gently. He moaned into my lips as my tongue split the seam of his mouth, diving into the warm cavern and down his throat. His hands slid up my arms, clenching the sides of my shoulders. As heated as our kiss was, it didn't last long. I pulled away, leaving a soft, feather kiss on his lips before walking with him again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: I don't know what I'm diving into**

 **Tommy's POV**

I walked down the halls of the palace, keeping to myself and giving nothing more than a gentle smile to anyone that I passed. The Pharaoh had dismissed me from our walk not long after his apology for yelling at me. The memory of his kiss was still on my lips as I made my way back through the slight maze to his chambers. He wanted me to check on Drake before I went and tended to fixing up a room for the boy. He wanted me to make sure he was alright.

My sandals slapped the stone as I hurried down around another corner. The doors were just a few dozen yards ahead of me, and the sun was beating through the windows and setting the stone ablaze. Sweat was dripping down the back of my neck as I pushed through heat waves the last couple of yards before reaching the doors. The wood was warm as I pulled it open and stepped inside.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the lighting of the room, but when they did, I noticed that Drake was wide awake, sitting up with his knees pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped around them. His eyes were wide and his head shot up to meet mine. I frowned down at him, taking a few steps down towards the bed.

"Drake? What's wrong?" I asked him. He looked away, blushing and unwrapping himself from the ball he'd tangled into, wincing now and then as he did so. At some point he'd woken up and put his shorts an necklaces back on, I just didn't know when.

"I… Woke up and no one was here. Just… I don't know." He mumbled softly, sliding off of the bed. He groaned, hobbling slowly and awkwardly before climbing the stairs to meet me. I smiled softly, turning and placing my hand on the small of his back, guiding him with me towards the doors again. His body was sticky with sweat and I figured he would want to clean off at some point today before dinner.

"Sorry. Our Pharaoh wanted me to take a walk with him. He does that, sometimes. Especially after nights like last night." I said. Drake hissed every few steps and walked like he had something stuck up his ass. I smirked, pushing open the doors and helping him hobble out of the room before shutting it again. "He wants me to fix you your own room. I figured I can set one up, next to mine, if you'd like, while you take a bath. Figured you might wanna clean up and soak after what you just went through…" I said softly. Drake chuckled under another hiss of pain, his face slightly red.

"That would be nice…" He mumbled softly, and I leaned over, pressing a soft kiss into his forehead. I knew he was going to be in a lot of pain, probably rather unwilling to do a whole lot, too. I wondered, for a moment, if he would prefer it more if I were to carry him to the bathroom instead of forcing him to suffer through the tedious walk. But part of me told myself that he'd do better walking the pain off instead of nurturing it too much.

Drake hissed every five feet or so, walking slower than hell beside me. My arm was still tucked around his waist and I helped him as much as I could without dragging him along. But he was whining and groaning more and more as we walked, and we still had a long way to go until we got to the bathroom and our bedrooms.

"Do you want me to carry you?" I asked, looking over at him and pulling him to a stop. His face flushed again and he looked sheepish for a moment. My heart slammed into my chest and I rolled my eyes, chuckling as his arms looped around my neck. I curled my left arm under his legs, my right curving around his back as I lifted him almost effortlessly into my hold. He yelped, swinging his legs a little before curling close, burying his face into my neck.

"You're really light, you know that?" I commented and, I swear, I could feel the heat coming off of Drake's face as I began to carry him down the hallway. It wasn't as hard as a part of me had feared at first. But I couldn't really have expected much. Drake was thin and young. The most solid meal he'd probably eaten in his whole life was last night, and, even then, he couldn't finish all of it.

"Yeah, I know…" He muttered into my neck. I smiled, shifting him in my arms so that it was a little more comfortable to hold him. Fortunately, everyone else was busy with their duties and were not around to see me carrying him like he was some helpless damsel in distress.

"It's not a bad thing, really. Your petite frame is cute, but Pharaoh's probably going to want you to bulk up just a little. He's kind of… Paranoid… About people smaller than him. He thinks he's going to break them." I chuckled, remembering the first few times that Pharaoh had brought me to his bed. He'd been so reserved and cautious, even when I'd told him he could do whatever he wanted to me.

Drake didn't say anything for the rest of the walk, which didn't really bother me. It was kind of nice, to be honest, just holding him in silence. I carried him into the bathroom, setting him down on the edge of the tub. I turned the water faucet to hot, letting water splash into the tub. I glanced over at Drake, smiling softly at him before reaching over and pulling the necklaces off of him, laying them out onto a counter.

"I'm gonna go get your room ready. Just call for me if you need anything," I said. Drake looked up at me and nodded once. "When I finish, I'm probably going to join you. That alright?" I asked. He blushed deeply and nodded again. I smiled softly, leaning down and kissing his cheek. His skin was hot to my lips as I pulled away, running fingers through his hair before standing up and walking out.

I turned to the left, passing my room and heading into the adjoining room. It was blank with a bed on the eastern wall, a vanity and wardrobe on the western wall. A writing desk at the north and a wide, open window at the south. Mirrors behind the vanity, the drawers all stocked with makeup. I crossed to the wardrobe, opening the doors and bending down to reach into the bottom, low rack. There were sheets, blankets and pillows waiting to be used. The wardrobe itself was fairly empty. I knew the Pharaoh was going to find a time to get Drake some proper clothes, I just didn't know when. Until that time, I was probably going to have to let Drake borrow some of mine.

I set the blankets and pillows down, spreading the sheets out and tucking them neatly into the mattress, before throwing the blankets out, styling the pillows in the corners neatly. Nice blues, golds and greens. Mine room was more decorated with reds, golds and purples. I figured Drake was more of a gentle, sultry type of personality. Incredibly shy and gentle. Blue and green were fitting. Gold was a given for every room.

When I finished setting out the bedding, I pulled the sliding doors open that connected mine and Drake's rooms. They slid into the walls, allowing for one solid wall or a sort of archway between our rooms. I crossed into my room, opening the wardrobe and pulling out a few pairs of shorts, trousers and shirts. Simple, basic stuff, but I carried them back to his room, tucking them neatly into his wardrobe. I snatched out two shirts and two pairs of trousers, taking them back through to the bathroom.

"Fresh clothes," I said, motioning to Drake before setting them down onto the counter. Drake was stripped and sitting in the tub, his body glistening with water and soap. His hair was still dry and his makeup was smeared on his face. I peeled off my necklaces and my shorts, taking note of Drake's blush as I slid into the tub. I smirked, taking the soap from his hands and rubbing it on my arms and legs.

I glanced up to see Drake staring as I washed myself, and I chuckled, "You're going to have to get used to this. Not just the whole, you know, sex stuff, but bathing, eating, everything like that. We're one in the same now. All of the servants eat together and bathe around the same time, they hang out together. But we're a little higher up than they were, because we're personal with the Pharaoh. And since there's more than one of us now, we bathe, dine and do things together, too." I explained. Drake nodded once, looking down into the water. I grabbed a small bucket from beside the tub, dipping it into the water and filling it. I reached over, pouring it onto Drake's head. He sputtered and shook the water out of his eyes before laughing.

I couldn't help but laugh with him. It was infectious, like Pharaoh's laugh. But it was soft, boyish and gentle. Not to mention he was incredibly cute when he laughed. My chest clenched and I leaned over, kissing his cheek. He blushed lightly, turning his head and catching my lips with his. I moaned softly, palming his cheek in my hand and deepening the kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer, our bodies barely more than a few inches apart.

Our mouths meshed, tongues sliding back and forth, the domination passing between us. My fingers threaded into his hair and I pulled, ripping the most beautiful moan I'd ever heard from a boy— other than Pharaoh, of course. I trembled, leaning closer and kissing him hard before something sparked in my head. What if Pharaoh came in and saw us like this? My heart stuttered in its beat and I pulled away suddenly, breathing hard. Drake's face was red and he looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled softly. I shook my head and caressed his cheek.

"Don't be… It was… It was amazing, but… We've got to be careful. Pharaoh's entrusted me to be your teacher for the simple, basic things. Everything else is his to take care of." I said, letting my fingertips linger against his skin. He leaned into it, keeping his eyes locked with mine before looking away.

"It's just… I don't know, you're just so nice…" He said gently. My heart skipped slightly. This boy's only known me for two days, though… I sighed softly, kissing his forehead as gently as possible.

"It's alright, Drake. It really is. I— I'm sure we can talk to Pharaoh about it. I doubt he'll have an issue if we kiss once in a while, but it can't go beyond that, okay?" I suggested, and he nodded once, sheepish. I smiled gently, grabbing the shampoo off of the edge of the tub and squeezing some into his hair. I set it back down, rubbing my fingers through his locks and massaging the wash into his scalp. His eyes slipped shut as I took control of washing his hair, lathering every lock and strand before grabbing the bucket again.

"How would you feel with wearing your hair down today?" I asked him as I rinsed his hair out, before pushing the dripping curtains away. He looked up at me with big, wide blue eyes.

"I've never had it down before," he admitted, and I smiled gently.

"I think Pharaoh would like it. Plus, it would be good on you." I said softly. Drake blushed again and smiled, before nodding once. I chuckled, taking the soap and turning him around so his back was to me, before washing his shoulders and spine. He held still and didn't say much as I cleaned him off before pouring water onto his skin, rinsing him as I had done his hair. I handed him the soap before turning my back to him, waiting.

"What's this on your back?" Drake asked before rubbing the soap between my shoulders. I smiled softly, remembering back to the first few weeks of being the Pharaoh's pleasure servant.

"It's something Pharaoh gave me. After about the first few weeks to a month, or so, he'll have an inks-man come out and give you this marking," I explained, reaching up and letting my fingers curl back to touch the back of my neck. There were two feathers, the thin, stiff ends crossing on the back of my neck and spreading out way from each other to my shoulder blades. The feathers started as dark, sapphire blue and ended like the color of the sky. Between the two feathers was the Eye of Horus in blue and gold, directly on my spine and stretching down to my mid-back, hieroglyphics of protection and devotion tattooed in a ring around the Eye.

"It's his way of saying he owns us. But it's not an owning in a bad way. It's… It's his way of saying that he'll protect us, as do the Gods, hence the Eye of Horus. The hieroglyphics are promises he's made for us; protection, faith, trust, kindness, things like that. The feathers are his personal thing. If you notice, all of the servants have feathers inked into their arms, their chest or their back." I said. Drake's fingers trailed over where the feathers were, mapping out the hieroglyphics as well.

"It's beautiful…" He said, his voice trailing off. I smiled softly.

"Yes, it is. It hurts like nothing you've ever known though." I commented, chuckling deeply, and I felt Drake's fingers tense against my skin.

"Worse than sex?" My chuckles turned into a roar of laughter.

"Perhaps." I said. His fingers disappeared as he continued to wash me.

"He has this thing for feathers?" Drake asked gently. I smiled again.

"Birds, more than anything. Sometimes you can catch him standing out on his balcony, just watching birds fly by. He couldn't tell you the names or species of any of them, but he's got this fascination for flight. Sure, we've had the technology to fly for thousands of years, but… Wings. That's what he finds marveling." I said. I knew a lot more about the Pharaoh than most gave me credit for.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: They Say You're a Monster, I Don't By That  
Drake's POV**

It had been almost a week since that day. The day I was taken from my family, brought to the Pharaoh's palace, chosen by the Pharaoh to be a pleasure servant and dressed in clothing that more or less made me look like a tramp. The day I _lost my virginity to the king of Egypt_!

Yes, I was still freaking out about that detail in my life. Honestly, who lost their virginity to the Pharaoh of Egypt?! The fact that I had lost my virginity at all was shocking, but to royalty? That was completely stunning. For a long time, I believed I would be a virgin forever. What romance was there for a man who had to work all hours of the day just in attempts to keep his family alive? There was absolutely no time for romance and now? Now it was my job…

Pharaoh was kind enough to let my body fully recover from losing my virginity before he called me to his bed again. It took four and a half days for the ache to finally disappear, but the first day was, by far, the worst. I didn't have any motivation to do anything, not even to walk, as Tommy quickly found out when he came back to Pharaoh's chambers to fetch me.

Thankfully, Pharaoh didn't call me back to his chambers until my fifth day here. That night had been… easier but still painful and still a little uncomfortable. How long would it take for me to be comfortable around the king of Egypt, I wondered. Maybe I never would be, but I knew I had to try.

A soft knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. I had been brushing my hair, styling it down today because Pharaoh seemed to like it more that way, even if I didn't. "Come in," I called. "It isn't locked."

Tommy pushed the door open and walked in, looking like he was wide awake. I wondered how long he had been up. I hadn't been awake very long at all. My body, I believed, was still trying to recover from the sensations of having sex. Thankfully the ache from the second time Pharaoh was inside of me only lasted for a day or so. I prayed that soon, there would not be much ache at all.

Yet, becoming used to sex in general also scared me a little. It made me feel like, I don't know, like a whore, I suppose… I hated to feel that way but part of me did and I couldn't help but feel that, if my mother and my belated father knew the things I had done with Pharaoh in his bed, with Pharaoh _and_ Tommy, they would be ashamed of me…

"Hey," Tommy said, smiling at me in my mirror. I set my brush down atop the vanity and turned to face the chocolate eyed man.

"Hey," I said, smiling softly at him. "What's up?" I asked. As far as I knew, Pharaoh hadn't requested our presence so early today…

"Pharaoh wants to see you," he said and frowned, probably at that fact that I was growing a little pale. "What? You aren't in trouble or anything. He just doesn't have much to attend to today. He's finished all of his work and he'd like to spend a little bit of time alone with you. You know, just getting to know you type things."

The thought of being alone with Pharaoh left my nerves on edge. Every time I was with the man, Tommy was with me which gave me a little bit of comfort. I should not have been foolish enough to believe Tommy would always be with us. He had told me Pharaoh would want to get to know me, spend time with me when I wasn't in his bedroom and probably, more than likely, he would want some of our more intimate times to be just him and me. These last two times hadn't been just Pharaoh and myself, but I was sure it was coming…

"Alright… Where does he want me to meet him?" I asked. I'd spent most of my free time exploring the palace, trying to learn it's mazes. I think I had done a decent job in learning most of it but there were still occasions when I got lost, much to my displeasure.

"In front of his chambers. Would you like me to take you?" he asked. I shook my head, my hair falling in front of my face thanks to the lack of my pony tail.

"No, no that's alright. I think I can find my way but thank you," I said, smiling at the blond. He looked slightly disappointed but proud of me at the same time.

With a pat on the shoulder, he pushed me towards the door. "Alright then. Don't keep Pharaoh waiting," he said, pressing a kiss to my cheek before I exited the room, him just a pace behind me. "I'll see you at dinner. I'm not sure that Pharaoh wants us both in his chambers tonight. He… might just want you there," he whispered and a massive blush rushed across my cheeks. Heat was radiating off of my face.

"Oh boy…" I said, breathing in through my nose.

"Drake… I know it's a scary thought and I know that you still aren't completely comfortable around him, but he's understand and compassionate. He just wants you to like being with him," Tommy muttered, cupping my cheek gently in his hands. "He'll be gentle with you, I promise."

I smiled lightly, but nervousness still shook through my blood. "I… I know that. It's just hard to believe really. I lost my virginity to him…" I whispered. Tommy gave me a reassuring smile and I smiled back before turning on my heels and leaving the blond alone in the hall. My sandals scrapped against the stones as I turned corner after corner, making my way to Pharaoh's chambers, hoping I wasn't keeping him waiting. What a way to make an impression on him.

Turning the last corner, I saw Pharaoh just stepping out of the double doors. I stopped in front of him, smiling slightly with a light blush sported across my cheeks. "Good morning, My Pharaoh. Tommy told me you wanted to see me," I said gently, my head bowed.

As usual, he tucked his fingers under my chin, lifting my head to look him in the eye. "Good morning to you as well, Drake," he whispered, bending down enough to press his lips gently to mine. I moaned quietly, almost out of reflex now, as I kissed him back. The kiss was passionate, but not demanding. If I had known what love felt like, I would assume that this was as close as you could get without actually being in love.

Who knows, maybe one day I would be in love with this man. Right now, I was more concerned about him being pleased with me and for me to be comfortable with him, to like him as much as Tommy does.

"You are so beautiful," he muttered against my lips and both of his hands came up to my blushing cheeks, cupping them tenderly. He traced circles into my skin, muttering against my lips again. "My beautiful boy…"

The blush, I was sure, was staining my cheeks a deep crimson color at this point. "Thank you, My Pharaoh," I whispered, willing myself to stop blushing. It didn't work.

He chuckled softly, his laughter so rich and beautiful… It made my skin tingle, as if a million microscopic men were kissing every inch of my skin. "You are adorable," he said, running his fingers through my loose hair. "Come, take a walk with me?" he asked. It wasn't a command, to my surprise. He almost made me feel like I could deny him if I wanted, but I knew better. I was a little bit afraid to deny him, but more than anything, I didn't want to.

"Anything for you, my Pharaoh," I said softly and he smiled, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist and pulling me close. It felt strange to walk through the palace on Pharaoh's hip. Some people looked upon me with envy. Others looked almost disgusted, probably because they saw me as nothing more than a lowly tramp. I apologize, but I did not ask for this life. It was only thrust upon me…

"Ignore them. Most of them are jealous of Tommy and you as well. They wish to be as close to me as the two of you are because they feel they would be treated better. What they do not realize, is that I treat them all with the same kindnesses I show you and Tommy," Pharaoh said quietly. "I may favorite you and Tommy, but I try my best to treat everyone here with respect and kindness."

I couldn't help the sigh that left my lips but I leaned into Pharaoh's embrace, finding comfort in his hold. Comfort from the judging eyes that passed by. "They do not like me being with you, do they?" I asked quietly.

Pharaoh sighed softly. "No they do not… But, it does not matter because you are my boy, Drake." There was something about the way he said 'my' that made my face (and my body) feel hot. He said the same about Tommy, but it was _not_ the same meaning. Pharaoh was not Tommy's first, therefore Tommy would never truly belong to Pharaoh. I, however, would always be his. He had taken the one thing nobody else could.

I did not reply to him, I simply closed the little bit of distance between us as we walked. He held me to him, seeming happy to keep me in his hold and just walking. The sun pouring through the many windows that lined the halls felt warm on my already hot flesh, but I didn't mind the sensation really. Being with Pharaoh like this made me feel like he was more of just a person than some sort of higher being. Of course he was a higher being, much more important than I ever hoped to be, but now? Now he just seemed like another person.

The silence didn't last too long however. He finally spoke in his smooth, velvety voice. "Do you like it here, Drake?" he asked me, pulling me down a different corridor.

I was kind of at a loss for words. I certainly did not dislike living in the palace and accompanying Pharaoh and Tommy when needed, but I wasn't sure if I _liked_ it yet or not. I missed my family and I was still overwhelmed by the fact that I woke up every day in the Pharaoh of Egypt's palace and went to sleep every night in the Pharaoh's palace. On top of that, I had _lost my virginity to the Pharaoh of Egypt_ and that was still mind boggling.

"It… It's nice here, I am just…. I'm still trying to adjust to it all. It's just all so overwhelming and my mind is still trying to process it all, if that makes sense," I said quietly, hoping that nothing I said might have offended the Egyptian king.

He smiled, nodding down at me. "Very understandable. I am glad you like it though," he replied, sounding pleased enough with my answer. I let go of the breath I had seemed to be holding onto. "You are getting along with Tommy, yes?" he asked, looking down at me. He was quite tall, about six two or three, if I had to guess. I was closer to Tommy's height, about five nine, maybe ten if I had grown anymore since the last time I was measured.

"Very much so, My Pharaoh," I whispered, my cheeks heating just slightly. "He is… very comforting to me and he is a wonderful teacher. Extremely kind and compassionate. Always willing to help me," I added. In truth, I was extremely thankful to have Tommy here because I was not entirely sure I would be able to handle this sudden shift in my life so easily. He was the most comforting thing I had here. I hoped that was just until I was able to become closer with the Pharaoh. Hopefully, I would be just as comfortable around the king in a few weeks.

I wasn't looking at him, but I could practically here the smile in the king's voice. "Yes, he is extremely comforting. If he ever proposes an issue, though I doubt he ever will, talk to me, alright?" he requested. I don't think either of us could imagine Tommy causing problems, but it was a very comforting gesture of the man and I relaxed, just a little into his arm. He seemed to notice though, because his arm tightened just slightly around my waist.

"I will My Pharaoh, thank you," I whispered, smiling shyly at the blue eyed man. He returned my smile, but he did not look shy. Why would the Pharaoh of Egypt ever need to feel shy though? It was almost ridiculous to think he ever would.

A short silence filled the air, but he spoke after a few minutes, still smiling at me. Though, if I was not mistaken, his eyes looked just a little bit bashful. "I didn't hurt you too bad… After your first night?" he asked me.

I was shocked at the question and, honestly, this showed me a completely new side of Pharaoh. He was not just a king, but also a kind man. I was still, by far, a little shaken around him but in that one little question, my entire view of him was shifting. He wasn't so scary now, not quite so intimidating and almost… warm. Someone easy to be close to. "I…" A blush swept over my face for what seemed like the billionth time since I met the Pharaoh at his chambers. "I cannot lie, My Pharaoh… It was extremely painful to be… stretched so much, but I also cannot lie and say it was not amazing…" I whispered. Thinking about the pleasure of that night made my body feel tight beneath my shorts.

He nodded again and we stopped walking all together. "I apologize for the pain… But it will not be so bad the more it occurs. I hope it was not as painful a couple nights ago," he said, a hand, once again, coming up to cup my burning cheek. "But, I am very glad that you enjoyed it."

"I have never experienced something that was so painful and yet so… blissful," I muttered, turning my face lightly into his touch. He smiled at me, kissing my forehead gently, although I felt that maybe I should not have said that. Perhaps I would have been better off keeping most of that to myself and- no, I _had_ to get used to being both open and honest with Pharaoh. He was, after all, my lover and he was one of the two men I would be spending almost all of my time with. All Pharaoh wanted from me was my trust and I had to do everything in my power to give him that trust. I had already given him my body, I think trust shouldn't be too difficult of a task…

A warm smile covered Pharaoh's lips, leaving me with a feeling that I had made the right choice by trusting him. "When done correctly, it is incredibly pleasurable to both the giver and the receiver," he said.

"I'm… looking very forward to learning more from you, My Pharaoh," I said, trying not to sound as flustered as I was but I was sure I failed at that.

Again, Pharaoh's laughter filled the air but it was soft, gentle really. He tucked a finger under my chin, lifting my head again to look into his eyes. "I look forward to teaching you, my beautiful boy," he said, smiling at me.

A purr erupted from my throat, before I could even hope to stop it. The blush still graced my cheeks, but I decided it couldn't be helped. "I am very happy that you are pleased with me, My Pharaoh…" I whispered, wanting to bow my head and look away from his beautiful ocean eyes, but I couldn't. His hand was preventing it and something in his eyes too.

He simply smiled at me and my back came in contact with the wall behind me. He bent down, pressing his lips gently to mine and again, I moaned into his lips, allowing my to mold against his. We kissed rather passionately, tongues meshing for several minutes before he pulled back, smiling at my flushed face as I was gasping for air.

"Shall we walk some more?" he asked softly.

I was still trying to catch my breath, but I smiled at him. "Of course, My Pharaoh. Anything you want," I replied and he smiled a little more, putting his arm back around my waist.

He smirked just slightly, walking down the corridor with me again. "Are you alright."

"F-fine, My Pharaoh, fine," I whispered, closing my eyes and trying to calm down.

Pharaoh reached up with his free hand, pulling a lock of hair away from my face and twirling it between his fingers. "Are you sure about that, my pet?" he asked. Of course I wasn't sure! The Pharaoh of Egypt had just kissed me, quite passionately in a public corridor and was now holding me in his arms. That was not something you just got used to!

"Well, I can't deny that I am just a little bit… amazed by you, My Pharaoh," I muttered, looking away in embarrassment.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Amazed? Why so?" he asked me, seeming confused.

"Well, I just… it amazes me that the Pharaoh of Egypt…" I stopped, blushing deeply. "Never mind, My Pharaoh…" I whispered, looking away again. He stopped walking again, cupping his face in both of my hands and lifting my head to look at him.

"I what, Drake? Tell me," he said and I was not entirely sure if it was a command or not…

I wanted to look away from his eyes, but I couldn't. "It is just so strange to think about living in your home, eating your food… sharing your bed, My Pharaoh," I said quietly, trying not to mention the whole losing my virginity to him thing. "Sometimes I think this is all a dream…"

His fingers caressed my cheeks gently, easing my nervous demeanor. "I promise you, this is not a dream, Drake. It may feel like it, but it's all extremely real," he whispered, smiling at me. I simply blushes, nodding gently within his hold. He pressed his lips to mine softly but briefly. "Would you mind joining me tonight in my chambers Drake? Without Tommy? I understand if that makes you too uncomfortable right now… Do not be afraid to deny me if you are not ready…"

I stared, wide eyed at him for a moment. I knew that he might request that of me, but hearing him say it was so much more than I had ever anticipated… I closed my eyes for just a moment, trying to keep my head clear. Part of me wanted to say no, that I didn't think I was ready to spend a night alone with the Pharaoh but a bigger part of me said not to deny him. The biggest part of me told me that I didn't _want_ to deny him…

"Of course, My Pharaoh. After dinner?" I asked quietly, opening my eyes to look at him again. His eyes seemed to smile as much as his lips and he nodded, kissing me gently on the forehead.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Letting go of all I've held onto  
Adam's POV**

Dinner had been filling, delicious with meats and wines that I enjoyed. The company was vibrant with conversation. Drake, as for the last week, sat to my left, Tommy to my right, and my advisers beside them. Much to my pleasure, I'd noticed that Drake had become more and more comfortable over the days. He was still, often, very quiet while eating, but he'd made it a note to himself to say at least one thing each night. Still so shy, though.

Drake and Tommy had left shortly after the third course of the meal, leaving me to my advisers and my guests. They always left early to prepare themselves or to leave conversations they were not to be a part of. I had not informed Tommy that Drake would be alone with me tonight, and I could only imagine that conversation between my two boys. I had no doubt, though, that Tommy would, more than likely, worry about him, even if only a little.

Probably an hour after the boys left, I called it a night with my guests. No doubt that most of them would linger for their own side conversations, but I'd had my fill of socializing and wanted some alone time with Drake. I couldn't suppress the smile I had on my face as I left the dining hall, my heart pounding in anticipation at the thought of having a night with him, alone.

I licked my lips, making a turn and walking down a long, wide corridor towards my chambers. I could see the doors, looming into view and my heart would not stop thrashing in my chest. My throat felt tight, skin hot, and, just by the mere idea, I was becoming aroused. I paused, placing a hand on the wood of the door, inhaling slowly. I did not have much of a desire to walk in and appear restless. I wanted to be calm. Comforting.

I pulled the door open, stepping inside and shutting it behind me immediately. It was as if the moonlight was washing through the ceiling and illuminating the bed. Drake sat, on his knees, amidst the sea of colored pillows and comforters, wearing nothing but the dark blue trousers he'd put on before dinner and the soft, grey shirt that was hanging just off of his shoulders. My boys did not always wearing the scanty shorts and jewels. Only on special occasions.

Drake lifted his head, his eyes glowing in the light of the moon. Even from my position atop the stairs and his on the bed below, I could see the paint of blush on his cheeks, and I smiled. He bowed his head respectively as I began my descent towards him, my sandals slapping the stone ever so softly, necklaces and bracelets jingling as I moved. His hair hung around his face, blowing gently in the breeze that gusted through the windows. I reached up, unclasping necklaces as I went, gently leaving them on the stairs, followed by the bracelets until all that was left were the trousers hanging off of my hips. I made a note to clean everything up tomorrow.

I climbed onto the bed, kneeling in front of Drake and tilting his head so his eyes could meet mine. His face was painted, heavy liner around his bright blue eyes, lips stained a dark, husky red. My thumb slid over his lips gently before I leaned forward, catching them with mine. Drake moaned into my mouth, his tongue meshing against mine as I kissed him deeply, easing him down onto his back. I shifted over him, straddling his hips with my knees, one hand clasped onto his shoulder, the other weaved into his hair. It was thick and soft, just enough to pull on…

My tongue tasted the inside of his mouth, darting in and out to tease him. Soft, gentle whines were sounding from his throat as he reached up, threading his fingers into my hair. I trembled, feeling chills racing down my spine and I couldn't stop the groan that was ripped from within my chest as he pulled on my hair. The chills coursed through my whole body, arousing me further. But it was as if my groan was electrifying, because Drake pulled away and let go, blushing and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, My Pharaoh," he mumbled under his breath, looking away from me. I frowned, trying to catch my breath as I brushed his hair out of his face. He still would not look up at me. I bent my head, kissing him gently again.

"No need to apologize, Drake. You did nothing wrong." I told him, caressing his cheek. He blushed, looking up at me, the moonlight hitting his eyes and making them sparkle.

"But… you… You growled, My Pharaoh." He said shyly. I blinked, smiling and chuckled lightly. I shook my head, kissing him again, soft and sweet. He seemed frozen and stiff, but he kissed me back, anyway.

"I did that because there was something you did that I liked," I commented, trailing a thumb over his lips again. He frowned, looking at me quizzically.

"If I may, what did I do?" I smirked softly, taking his hand in mine and bringing back into my hair. His fingers curled into it, but he held himself there, still, and frowning deeply with his eyes and his lips. I let my hand drop, resting it beside his head.

"Pull, Drake." I said. His eyes went wide, his cheeks flaming a brilliant red.

"My Pharaoh?!" My hand cupped his face tenderly.

"Do it, Drake. Pull as hard as you want." I told him. His frown remained and he looked… Almost afraid. But I felt his fingers tighten into my hair and he pulled, not too hard but none too soft, either. I felt the shivers of ecstasy rolling down my spine and my eyes fluttered shut. I groaned again, trembling above him as his fingers loosened in my hair.

"That doesn't hurt?" He questioned. My eyes opened and I blinked a few times to focus back down onto him. I smiled slightly, kissing his cheek.

"On the contrary. It's actually quite enticing." I chuckled, but Drake still looked unsure. I sighed softly, caressing his cheeks with my thumbs, "Drake… I understand if you're not ready… I don't want to force you into something you don't want. It is, truly, okay, if you deny…" I told him, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted him to stay. I wanted him to trust me and I wanted to ensure him that I would not harm him. But I also wanted him to know that it was okay to say he wasn't ready.

Drake looked up at me— truly, he looked, as if seeing into my soul. He opened his mouth as if to speak, only to close it again. I tilted my head to the side, trying to understand, my hands still gently pressed to his face. Drake closed his mouth, his throat moving as if he swallowed. He reached up, threading his fingers into my hair and bringing me down into a kiss. I moaned, my eyes slipping shut.

"I apologize for my insecurity. But… I am ready." He said. My heart skipped a beat in my chest and I bent down, kissing him again. This time, though, his tongue pushed between my teeth, tasting the insides of my mouth. I moaned, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. His fingers tightened into my hair again, pulling hard. My back arched, my chest pressing to his for a moment as I moaned louder than before. For only being here for a week, he'd learned so much…

But I wanted to be gentle with him. I wanted to be easy, to take it slow. Drake couldn't handle the rougher, harsher scenes of sex that I would put Tommy through. At least, I didn't think he could handle it. He was still young, still adjusting to every new sensation. I'd been gentle with Tommy in his first few months despite his saying he could handle more.

Drake's hands slid out of my hair, gripping onto my shoulders as I pulled my lips away from his, kissing the sides of his neck. He trembled beneath me, breathing hard and moaning softly. But it wasn't until I pressed a kiss, right above his pulse, that I heard it. It was soft, more of a vibration of the throat than it was a moan or a whine. But it was familiar, and so ever adorable. I lifted my head, staring down at him with a smirk on my face. Drake frowned, breathing hard.

"My Pharaoh?" His voice was soft, confused. But I couldn't' stop smirking.

"You purred." I said. His eyes widened and his face went red with a blush. I chuckled before laughing, and he buried his face into his hands. I swallowed my outburst, taking his wrists in my hands and revealing his face. His eyes were bashful, his cheeks flaming. I smiled sweetly at him, turning his hand over and kissing his palm.

"It was adorable. _You_ are adorable," I murmured, kissing his neck again, "Mm, my pretty kitty…" I felt his face heat up, but I didn't tease him further. I kissed his neck, nipping the skin with my teeth as my hands fumbled with the linen of his shirt, pulling it up over his stomach and, eventually, over his head. I tossed it aside, letting my hands roam over his skin again. He shivered beneath my touch, tilting his head to the side and exposing a stretch of skin, wide open and ready for marks… No. No marks for him tonight.

I left kisses into his skin and on his lips as I stripped him and then myself. Feather light touches and caresses, barely considered foreplay. No, this was teasing. This was relaxation, right here. Maybe not in a regular, technical sense, but every kiss and gentle touch, I could feel Drake becoming more and more at ease. More and more willing to give in and let me take him over. My beautiful, beautiful boy…

Naked, I grabbed Drake's hips, rolling over so that he rested on top of me, myself flat on my back. He blushed, but smiled it off and kissed me again. I moaned, weaving my fingers into his hair, kissing back hard. I found myself enjoying the taste of his mouth more and more every time I kissed him. He was different from Tommy in that his technique was young, inexperience, but learning every day.

Drake hovered in just a way that my aroused member was pressing into his own, rubbing every moment that we kissed. Moans were spilling from his lips and into mine, my nails beginning to dig into the skin of his hips. He feverishly kissed me, whining like a needy puppy. How cute… my little puppy… My pretty kitty… How many analogies could I give one boy?

I leaned up, kissing the underside of his jaw. He moaned, weaving his fingers into my hair again, "Mm… My Pharaoh…" He whispered, tilting his head down and kissing me gently. I sat up, reclining on my elbow ever so gently, meshing my mouth with his. He pulled, again, on my hair, forcing another strangled moan from my throat. Sweat glistened on my skin and I was painfully hard, but I _wanted to be gentle_.

"My pretty kitty," I whispered into his lips, easing him onto his back again. I pressed my fingertips to his lips, pushing them into his mouth a little. His opened wide, letting them slid in. As if it were instinct or reflex, Drake's tongue slid around and between my fingers, moistening them, soaking them, even. I moaned as he sucked on them, staring up at me with big, dark, heavy eyes.

"My boy," I murmured, pulling my fingers out and kissing him hard, sucking on his bottom lip between my teeth. He whined before I kissed him deeply, pushing his legs apart with my hands and gently easing a finger into him. He tensed at first before remembering to relax without my having to say anything. Such a good boy…

I pulled away, caressing his cheek as I moved the finger, slowly, within him. Drake arched slightly, moaning as I pushed it deep and pulled it out only to repeat the process again and again. His face was twisted into ecstasy, which was only making my own ache begin to burn with uncontrollable need. I left gentle kisses and pecks on his throat and lips before pushing in a second finger, scissoring him as Tommy had done his first night.

Much the same, Drake arched and cried out, his eyes screwed shut and his jaw hanging open as he gasped for breath. I moaned, biting down on my bottom lip as I curled my fingers, hitting that spot inside of him. His eyes went wide before rolling into the back of his head and he trembled, moaning deeply, his hands curling into fists, gripping the blankets in his palms. I smirked, kissing his throat as I scissored and curled in him again, before pushing in a third.

"Aah! Pharaoh!" Drake whined, his chest heaving with breath. My mouth went dry at the sight of him before me, open and yearning. Trusting. He was putting himself into the palms of my hands and letting me bend him to whatever I desired. Of course, there was a level of trust on my part that I had to maintain. Yes, he was putting his body and soul into my hands, but I could not take advantage of that…

I moved my fingers inside of him, curling them and changing the angles to ensure that he was open and ready. The past two times had been tight and painful for him. I wanted to make it pleasurable while still making sure that he would be able to walk again in the morning. I licked my lips, spreading my fingers out in him just a little more before pulling them out all together. He whined, breathing hard and clenching the blankets so tightly in his hands his knuckles were white.

I shifted, reaching down to the floor beside the bed, reaching under for the bottle of lotion that I'd tucked under there after our second night. I repositioned myself, uncapping the lotion and slicking myself with it. I moaned, dropping my head a little and willing myself not to come undone into my own grasp. I bit down on my lip, looking at Drake with what I was sure was lust-filled eyes. He moaned, reaching out for me.

"My pet," I whispered, tossing the lotion aside and kissing him gently, lining myself up with him and prodding his entrance ever so slightly. He moaned, tightening slightly before relaxing again. "Are you ready?" I asked. He didn't speak, he merely nodded once, leaning up and kissing me sweetly.

I pushed in, slow at first, trying to be so, so gentle. Drake arched, whining and moaning, digging his nails into my shoulders. I hissed softly, but he didn't seem to have heard it in the least. I sheathed myself inside of him, letting him adjust to the stretch and change. I kissed his neck, his chest and his lips, running my fingers through his hair until he told me he was okay. That he was ready.

I rocked my hips once, barely more than a few inches of thrust. Drake threw his head back, groaning, but he did not tell me to stop. For being alone, he was strong and sure. He wanted to be here. He wanted to do this without Tommy's help. Without the blond telling him what to do, how to move. He was holding his own and doing so damned well that I was losing my mind. I needed him… I needed more…

I rocked again, moving a little deeper, a little faster than the first time. He looked uncomfortable, but the expression was fading from his face. It was becoming less of discomfort and more of pleasure. More of what I wanted to see and what he wanted to feel. I moaned, dipping my head and holding his hips in my hands, trembling as I moved in him. His jaw dropped a little as he panted for breath, digging his nails into my shoulders so hard I wondered if I was beginning to bleed or not.

"P-Pharaoh…" He whispered, his voice so soft. I moaned, thrusting again.

"Yes?" I hissed, biting down on my bottom lip. He whined, hooking his legs around my waist, changing the angle. I slid, deeper than before, and forcing a soft scream from his throat. His back was curved and his head was thrown back, sweat glistening in the moonlight that was streaming from the ceiling. He looked so beautiful…

"P-please… Harder, please…" He begged. He _begged_. I choked on a gasp, bringing his legs higher up so that they were more above my waist, locked tight. The perfect angle. The perfect plunge into him. I rocked, slamming my hips into his ass and pushing another scream from his perfect, beautiful lips. He bared his teeth, groaning between them with his eyes squeezed shut. He was trembling, head to toe, and pulling me closer, deeper.

I rocked into Drake again, moaning loudly as he pulled me close, tightening his legs around me. It felt like I was constantly pressed into that spot within him, barely moving back onto to cram it up into his boy more and more every time. His head was thrown back into a pillow, his chest pressing against mine as I moved. His skin radiated heat, sweaty and sticky. I bent my head, kissing his neck as I slammed into him again.

"Pharaoh!" Drake screamed, threading his fingers into my hair, pulling on it. I choked on a gasp again, moaning and pushing in again. Blindly, I reached down, stroking his erection. He bucked, trembling and moaning. I shivered, gripping him tightly and matching the strokes with every thrust into his body.

"M-my Pharaoh… P-please… Please, I… I…" He whined, one hand still weaved into my hair, the other clenching my shoulder. I bit down on my lip, growling low, thrusting hard into him. Screw being gentle… Fucking… Rah…

"I'm here Drake… Fall apart, I will catch you… I'm here…" I whispered, stroking him hard and slamming into him over and over and over again. His moans were short, growing louder and louder until—

"Ph— Pharaoh!" I rocked into him once more, choking on a cry as my vision went white for several moments. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't remember, for a second, who or where I was. But when I blinked my eyes and came down from the high, I remembered clearly, and I pressed a kiss into Drake's lips.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Tattoo your name across my heart  
Tommy's POV**

Drake had been adjusting remarkably well. I was completely impressed, considering just three weeks ago he was a virgin, completely pure, ignorant and innocent in the matters of love. I had only taught him to kiss, the rest Pharaoh had taught him and, I had to say, Drake was an extremely fast leaner. He was intelligent, quick witted even though he was extremely quiet. He had grown quite comfortable around both Pharaoh and myself.

From what I'd observed, Drake had grown a lot when it came to the matters of sex. He was rather talented at it, even though he was still very shy. He still appeared to perform like a virgin for when Pharaoh wanted that type of love, but he was, by no means, so innocent anymore.

I had to admit that I was a little bit jealous of Pharaoh's relationship with Drake. Sure, Drake and I had grown very close. We had even been known to kiss, possibly make out, behind closed doors but to actually own him the way Pharaoh did? I envied that… I envied that a lot because Drake was so perfect. I knew that Pharaoh had chosen Drake, at least partly, because of his resemblance to Alexander and while I understood the want to replace Alexander with someone extremely similar to him, I could not help but feel that Drake was being cheated. What if Pharaoh _only_ like the Alexander in Drake? What if Drake ever found out…?

Sighing, I pushed Drake from my thoughts. Generally we spent our days together, whether we were with Pharaoh or not. Usually, we spent a lot of time alone before dinner was served, unless Pharaoh called for us before then. However, Drake was feeling a little sick today and I was worried about him, so I was trying to find him some medicine to calm his upset stomach.

Instead, I walked right into Pharaoh.

"Tommy? I did not expect the errand boy to fetch you so quickly," he commented and I gave him a puzzled look.

"Beg pardon?" I replied and a look of confusion mirror my own on his beautiful face.

"I sent an errand boy to fetch you. I wanted to discuss something with you. Is that not why you are here?" he asked.

"Oh, um no, actually. I did not know you sent for me. I was with Drake. He isn't feeling very well, My Pharaoh, so I came to find him something that might-" He cut me off.

"Is he alright?" he gasped, looking startled and just a tiny bit frightened. I could not really blame him. He'd lost Alexander to severe illness. It was only a natural reaction for him to fear the worst in the case of myself or Drake falling ill.

I looked up into Pharaoh's eyes with what I hoped to be compassion and comfort reflecting in my own. "He's alright, My Pharaoh, he's just got a stomach ache. I checked for fever. He did not have one. He said it was only his stomach that was bothering him. I just hoped that I might be able to find something that would help calm it," I explained, smiling gently.

Pharaoh seemed to let go of a breath he had been holding. "Oh, thank goodness. Do you have any idea why he might be complaining of an upset stomach?" he asked, frowning.

"I honestly just think he might have eaten something at dinner last night that did not quite settle with his stomach. It just seems like a bad piece of meat or something that hasn't digested yet," I reassured him, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. "My Pharaoh, he's alright. I promise you that."

He nodded, seeming to relax a little under my touch. "So what did you want to discuss with me?" I asked once Pharaoh seemed calm and collected again. He really did worry about his boys, and that made me feel good about serving him.

"Well, I want to call an inks-man out to give Drake the mark I had given to you, but I am a little worried," he said, taking me to a small table so we could sit while talking.

"Why are you worried, My Pharaoh?" I asked, sitting down in the chair across from his.

He sighed, tapping his fingers against the wood of the table. "I fear that he will not be able to handle the pain. He's just… He's so small and frail, almost like a kitten…" he muttered, chuckling softly at the end. Apparently the kitten comment meant more to him than it really did to me. I wanted to know what he meant, but I was not about to ask. "Receiving the inking might just be too much for him to take. You spend more time with him than I get to, unfortunately. I wanted to know what your thoughts were?" he asked, his eyes piercing mine.

"Oh, well… I mean this with the greatest respect, My Pharaoh, but I think he is stronger than you give him credit for. Yes, he is on the small side and he is, perhaps, a little more fragile than most boys his age, but he has gotten much better since coming here. He eats right and probably gets more exercise just by walking the massiveness of the palace. He had gotten much stronger," I said, being honest. Drake had surprised everyone, including me, on how much he could endure. Letting the Pharaoh of Egypt fuck him three times in the first week of losing his virginity proved that. Being brave enough to face Pharaoh alone so early in their relationship was also proof.

"Yes, I agree with you, but do you think he can handle that much pain?" he asked. I could still hear underlying worry in his tone. Maybe it was not just the resemblance to Alexander that he liked about Drake…

"Do I think he's find the pain unbearable? Yes, of course I do. I found the pain just as unbearable however, I think it would be unfair of him not to receive it," I said.

He frowned at me. "Do you think he deserves to suffer the same pain you did? Is that what you mean?" he asked me, but not unkindly.

"No, My Pharaoh, that is not at all what I mean. What I mean is that, I am so proud to bear this mark, even though the means of receiving it were incredibly painful," I started, licking my dried lips before continuing. "I think that if Drake did not receive the same mark, he might feel… I don't know, cheated I suppose. I might go as far as to say that he may feel you care for me more than you care for him because you did not give him the same opportunity."

He blinked, seeming to be completely caught off guard by my answer. "I do not wish to make Drake feel unloved, I only wish to protect him from such excruciating pain if he cannot handle it," he stated, frowning ever so slightly.

"My Pharaoh, I know Drake's pain tolerance is lower than mine is, but he is not weak. I think he can handle the pain, as long as he is given the time to recover, just as he was given time to recover from the night he lost his virginity," I said, kindly, laying a hand gently over his. "He can take it, My Pharaoh, I know he can."

He smiled at me. "Then I will arrange for the inks-man to come out to the palace in a few days. I would like to surprise him, but I do not believe that is… wise? Do you think, if he is informed before it happens, that he will be able to resist the pain any easier? That, at least, he will be ready for it?" he asked. It was funny really, that the Pharaoh of Egypt was asking for _my_ advice.

"I do not think that telling him would make a difference. It would be a most honorable surprise though," I stated, smiling. If I knew Drake as well as I was beginning to believe, he would love a surprise even if, at first, it caused him a lot of pain. I knew that once he healed, he would cherish the mark, as I do. "I think it would make an excellent surprise," I said again, just for that added bit of emphasis. Pharaoh smiled at me and he brought my hand to his lips, kissing the back of it gently.

"Thank you, Tommy, for helping me make this decision. It was not one I could come to easily considering I was so worried about it being too much for him," he muttered against my skin and I flushed lightly.

"Well, if I may, My Pharaoh, he has to be a strong kid to handle losing his virginity to _you_ ," I said quietly. It was the truth though. Pharaoh was extremely… large and often times he was also rough in the bedroom.

A light blush, almost barely there, rushed across Pharaoh's cheeks and he looked away, laughing out loud. "That is… a very good point, I suppose," he agreed, smiling shyly at me. That was not something I saw on the Pharaoh much; shyness, but every great once in a while, it did show. "You should get back to Drake though, make sure he is alright. There should be some pills or something around that will help settle his stomach," he said, standing from the table. "I want you to take care of him until he's feeling well again, alright?"

"Of course, My Pharaoh," I said and, once again, he smiled.

"Make sure he stays in bed until he's feeling better," he whispered, pressing a kiss into my blond hair as I stood. I nodded and we departed, leaving me to find some medication for Drake. I eventually did find some sort of pill that was designed to sooth an unreasonable stomach.

Unfortunately the walk to and from Drake's chambers, as well as running into Pharaoh, talking with him and locating medicine that would help Drake put me at a good hour before I could actually get back to the boy. I knocked lightly before pushing his door open. He lay on his side, his back to the door. His arms appeared to be curled around his stomach and his hair lay around him in a blaze of chocolate locks.

"Drake?" I asked softly, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep, but he looked over his shoulder almost immediately. "Drake, I am so sorry I took so long. I ran into Pharaoh and he needed to talk to me about something kind of important…" I sighed, walking over to the boy. He looked a little paler than usual and I put a hand gently against his forehead. He still didn't have a fever, to my relief. "Here, take these. They will help with the stomach cramps."

He reached out, taking the small pills from me and he swallowed them dry. I sighed, climbing into the bed with him and wrapping my arms gently around his small, delicate like frame. "Pharaoh wants you to stay in bed until you are feeling better. He does not wish for your condition to get any worse," I whispered, rubbing his back gently.

"Is he angry?" he asked, looking up at me with big, blue eyes. He looked like a lost puppy sometimes… and it was just completely adorable…

I put a hand gently on the boy's cheek, rubbing circles into it with my thumb. "No, Drake of course not. He is simply worried that you are getting sick and he wants you to get better. He isn't angry with you at all," I said, pressing a gentle kiss into his hair. "He wants me to take care of you until you are feeling better, so I will be here, okay? Not that I wouldn't have been even if he didn't ask me to care for you."

"I'm sorry you are stuck babysitting me…" he whispered, looking away from my face. I frowned, kissing his forehead again.

"I do not think of it as babysitting, Drake. You have become my best friend these last couple of weeks and I want to make sure you get well too. It is not just the Pharaoh's wish," I whispered, returning my hands to rub his back, hoping it would calm him. Slowly his arms unwound from his stomach and instead, wrapped around my waist, bringing me closer to him.

"Thank you, Tommy…" he whispered, his face nestling into my neck. I could not stop the smile that spread across my face and I help him to me but not too tightly. "Thank you so much…"

I ran my fingers through his thick, rich hair in attempts to soothe him. "Shh, Drake, it is no trouble at all. I'm here, just relax," I whispered to him and I swore I could feel him smile into my neck.

"I am so glad you are here. Not just now but all the time. I do not believe I could adjust to this life so well if I did not have a friend like you," he whispered to me and I just couldn't help the smile. This boy trusted me with everything that he had and I cherished his trust and affection more than a lot of things in my life.

"I will always be here to help you, no matter what you need," I promised, kissing his forehead again. He curled up to be as close as he possibly could to me. "Now please, try to rest. I will be here when you wake up."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: You're playing with the big boys, now…**

 **Drake's POV**

My stomachache only lasted, thankfully, a short day after Tommy had brought me the pills. Apparently I had eaten something that did sit quite right and was, truly, nothing at all. But, according to a command from Adam, Tommy wanted me to stay in bed one more day, to sleep off the effects of medication and to really prepare myself to go back to work. I couldn't understand the need to really baby me, much, but I let him do it because I couldn't argue with someone who had direct orders from the Pharaoh.

The morning after being fully rested, I dressed in loose fitting trousers and a vest, wearing a few necklaces and jewels that Tommy had lent to me until I was able to go out to the market to acquire my own. My hair hung around my face in waves; I still wasn't used to it, but if my Pharaoh liked it, then so could I. My sandals were strapped around my feet and I began to wander down the halls of the palace; just walking with no predetermined destination.

I took a small turn, walking the direction of Pharaoh's chambers when I saw the familiar tuft of blond hair walking towards me. Tommy had a faint smile on his face as he came up. He was wearing a pair of trousers and a shirt that hung off of his shoulders, revealing his collar bones. I blushed lightly at the sight of him. I swear, Tommy could wear a garbage sack and make it look like it was worth more than its weight in gold.

"Pharaoh wants to see you in his chambers, right now." Tommy said in a gentle voice, motioning with his head towards the large, wooden doors. I felt my heart pound in my chest and I frowned. Was it not too early for such activities? Tommy must've read my expression, for he laughed lightly and shook his head.

"It is not what you think. In fact… Your regular services will be postponed for a week, at least." I frowned further, my eyes a little wide as I turned to start walking towards the doors. What on Earth was Tommy talking about? I wanted to ask, but I figured I'd figure out the answer the second I went through the doors.

But what if it was something bad? Surely not, Tommy looked pleasant enough, perhaps a little smug. Was I in trouble? Or was Pharaoh going to send me off somewhere? No. Tommy had said I was his best friend. Even if Pharaoh was considering sending me away, I wanted to believe, at least, that Tommy would defend for me. No, this couldn't be bad or ill-mannered in any fashion. I turned, about to ask Tommy to come with me, only to find that he was already behind me, a hand on my shoulder. I turned back, opening the door and walking inside with Tommy following me.

Pharaoh was standing over towards the balcony of his chambers, talking with a man that I had never seen before. There was a table set up outside with what looked to be bottles of ink next to a chair. Pharaoh was dressed in white trousers and nothing else, revealing his various tattoos and toned muscles. I felt my face heat up as Tommy walked beside me. I don't believe I would ever get over how beautiful Pharaoh was…

Even more beautiful were his eyes, and when they turned upon us, they were gleaming in the light, "Drake! Tommy! There you two are." He said, cheerily, walking over to us. He placed his hands on our cheeks, giving us each a gentle kiss on our foreheads. I longed for a true kiss, as I had been sick and was unable to see him, but I did not want to ask for fear of stepping out of line in front of a guest.

"Drake, I have a surprise for you," Pharaoh said, stepping in front of me and taking my hands in his. I frowned, turning my head to look back at Tommy as he pulled me towards the balcony where the table and chair sat. I swallowed the lump in my throat as Pharaoh continued speaking.

"I trust you've seen the marks Tommy has on his back, yes?" He asked, and I could only nod once as he held onto my hands in the sunlight. The man, who was preparing something on the table, was well into his years with graying brown hair and kind green eyes. He was dressed in brown trousers and a shirt with what appeared to be an apron of sorts hanging around his neck and tied around his back.

"Would you like that same mark?" He suggested, and I felt my eyes go wide as my heart skipped a beat. To be, truly and officially, owned? To be protected, by not only the Gods, but protected with promises by the Pharaoh himself? My mouth went dry and I looked over to Tommy, who was just smiling in the archway between the balcony and the bedchamber. I looked back to Pharaoh, before smiling.

"Yes." I said. Pharaoh smiled and directed me to the chair, having me sit so that my chest would be pressed to the back of it, my arms tucked on top. But, first, he had me strip of my shirt. I did this, and waited as the man— an inks-man, as he told me— wiped my back with some sort of alcohol, to clean and numb the skin. Tommy came and sat on his knees in front of me, reaching up and taking my hand in his. I asked him why, but he didn't say. He just held my hand in his as we waited.

I understood why Tommy grabbed for my hand the moment the inks-man began to blot the design into my skin. He used a small needle, dotted with black ink, to make the outline of the wings, the eye, and the hieroglyphics. He moved fast for what he was drawing out, but each dot was painful. I kept my eyes screwed shut and my jaw clenched tight, squeezing Tommy's hand. He told me that he had to make the outline, and then he would begin coloring all of it…

If this was only the outline, I was in for a long day… Or two.

"I don't understand. He calls me a fragile little kitten and then does this to my back. Some logic our Pharaoh has," I complained, trying to shift my shoulders so my arms could tuck a little more comfortably under my head. But I stretched too far and hissed, burying my face into the pillow.

Tommy sighed softly, stroking my hair gently between his fingertips, trying to keep me happy and comfortable. This was my third day into recovering from the inking process after it took all of one day and half of the next. Tommy told me that I was going to have bruises from the pressure of being, repeatedly, stabbed with a needle dipped in ink. But it seemed that every time I tried to move, it felt like someone was punching my back. Everything hurt from the shoulders to my hips.

"In all fairness, Drake, he _did_ give you the opportunity to back out of it. He was just trying to give you the choice between waiting or, officially, becoming his." He said, and I sighed softly, turning my head towards him. He was kneeling beside my bed, leaning his head into his right palm and stroking my hair with his left.

"Fair? How is it fair when he knows I can't deny him, even if he gives me the choice?" I asked, frowning. I would have sat up to feel more comfortable and more into the conversation, but the inks-man, himself, told me not to worry about moving too much. That my back was going to be hurting.

"Well, that's your own thing you need to work out with yourself, then. You don't have to feel inclined to do everything for him. If you feel you're not ready, you can say no. He's not going to push you. He suggested it, though, because he was sure that you were going to be able to handle it." Tommy explained. I whined, burying my face into my pillow for a moment before looking back at him.

"But I'm not, really, handling it. This hurts like a bitch and I'm just laying here!" Tommy sighed, rolling his eyes and smiling slightly at me.

"If if makes you feel better, I went through it, too." He commented. Yes, Tommy, I knew that already. I've seen it on your back, I know that you've suffered this kind of pain, too.

"But you're stronger than I am, Tommy. You handle pain better than I do." I said, tucking my head onto my hands again, looking over at him. He pulled his hand from my hair and I whined softly, missing the comforting touches and the heat. But he just smiled warmly at me before speaking again.

"Yes, I do handle it better. But it will pass. It's not going to last forever." He said. Rah, I would hope that it wouldn't last forever. I looked over at Tommy and I wondered, for a moment, if his smile was more of a smirk. Was he laughing at my pain?!

"Stop smiling at me— or, smirking. Stop whatever it is you're doing…" I groaned, hiding my face under my hair. I could feel my skin heating up and I knew I was blushing. Rah… Tommy frowned before chuckling lightly.

"Why?" He inquired, lifting his head from out of his palm. I huffed softly.

"Because you're laughing at my pain. And it's not nice." I said, sounding like a child. And he must've thought the same thing, because Tommy began to laugh. And he just laughed until it faded at the sight of my face. I was scowling at him, before pulling my pillow up and putting it over my head, burying my face between the mattress and the cushion. Tommy chuckled again, reaching over and lifting the pillow up.

"I'm sorry," he said. I groaned, snatching the pillow away and tucking it back under my head.

"No you are not." I huffed, feeling my cheeks flaming. Tommy just shook his head, smiling slightly.

"If you're going to be like that, then you're right, I'm not." He teased, reaching over and brushing my bangs out of my face. He smirked again at the sight of my reddened cheeks and I glared at him.

"If I could hit you right now, I would. Trust me on that." I seethed, looking away from him. He laughed again.

"Drake, violence is not the answer. And, truly, I am sorry. I'm just being an ass right now," he said. It was my turn to laugh, but laughing hurt my back for some strange reason. So the first few chuckles died to groans of pain.

"Yes you are. You're enjoying this way too much to not be." I grumbled and Tommy mocked a look of hurt before chuckling softly.

"Alright, I deserved that one," he commented, brushing his hair out of his face with his nimble fingers. He looked away for a moment before glancing back, sighing softly, "I should, probably, let you get some rest. Give you some time to heal more." I scoffed, rolling my eyes and smiling.

"Fat chance I'll get any rest." I commented, really hating my bedridden position. I didn't like feeling weak, and, with my back, that was all I _was_ feeling. Weak. Unable to do my job and please my Pharaoh. I sighed, tucking my forehead onto my arms, inhaling slowly through my nose. I just wanted the pain to go away so I could go back to doing something productive with my time.

"Would you like me to stay?" Tommy asked, returning to his job of petting my hair, massaging my scalp. I let my eyes slip shut, but it didn't lull me quite to sleep. It was just comforting. I licked my lips and opened my eyes to look over at him.

"I'm sure you have other things to do, no?" I inquired. Tommy just smiled, shaking his head.

"No. Pharaoh is busy with other matters tonight. I think he said his advisers are coming to stay for a few days, to help him with some business with neighboring cities and such. He's preparing some rooms and talking with cooks about dinner plans for when they get here. Not to mention he wants you to rest and heal. But don't be surprised if he decides to pay you a visit or two sometime, to check in himself." Tommy commented, smiling sweetly. I felt a tug of a shy smile pulling at my lips as the idea of the Pharaoh paying me a personal visit.

"I've never though the Pharaoh of Egypt to be so… compassionate. I mean, from all the stories I'd heard prior to being brought here, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to think of him, but I was terrified, to say the least." I said. Tommy just smiled more, continuing to stroke my hair.

"Understandable. His compassion is something he did not pick up from his father, but rather his mother. From what I've heard of the stories, his mother was an incredibly patient and wonderful woman. It was tragic that she died so early in Pharaoh's reign… But he's always made it his personal note to show respect and compassion to everyone he meets. And the stories can be misleading for those who don't know him, but I'm sure things have been cleared up for you upon being here, yes?" Tommy questioned softly. I nodded once before I frowned a little, looking away. The way Tommy spoke of the Pharaoh was always so respected and well mannered. I didn't want to overstep personal boundaries, but there was a question that was lingering in the back of my mind that I wanted an answer to.

"Tommy… Do you love Pharaoh?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat. Tommy's hand paused in my hair and he stared at me for a moment. I wondered in fear if I had, in fact, crossed a line, but the gentle smile that spread across Tommy's lips told me I had not…

"Do I love him? Yes. The man has changed my life, for the better, even. He's, to say the least, opened my eyes about the people around me, showed me that they're not all bad. That some of them are worth living for. But am I in love with him? I can't say that I am." He said. I frowned.

"Pardon my ignorance, but is there a difference between loving him and being in love with him?" I asked. Tommy just smiled.

"From what I understand, yes. I love the Pharaoh, dearly— he's my best friend. I love his personality and his compassion. I'd do anything for him if he asked me for it. But… If I were _in love_ with him, I'd feel differently around him. My heart would race every time that I saw him, I'd forget to breathe every time he smiled or laughed. And it would feel like we were the only two people in a room whenever I'd be around him," Tommy said with a beautiful smile adorning his plump lips. "But… I do not feel this way around him. Therefore I do not believe I am in love with him. But that doesn't mean it may never happen in the future. It's just not now." He finished with a gentle shrug.

I smiled at him, thinking for a moment. Heart racing? Forgetting to breathe? I felt those things now, but I was sure that it was because he was extraordinarily beautiful and incredibly kind. That I was in awe by him entirely. But from what Tommy had described, it could have been more than that… But how could Tommy have known all of this if he wasn't in love with the Pharaoh? Had he been…

"Tommy— forgive this personal question, but… From your descriptions of love, have you ever been?" I asked. Tommy's eyes went distant, seeing right through me. As if he seemed to look back on something, seeing it before his eyes instead of seeing me. His gentle smile was still in place, but his distant eyes told a different story. One that looked almost… sad.

Tommy blinked once, the daze clearing before he looked to me, "I was, once, yes… But… Him— not so much." He said. I felt my heart clench in my chest and I shifted, taking his hand in mine.

"I'm sorry," I commented softly. Tommy just shook his head, smiling slightly and squeezing my hand in his, as if to say not to worry about it. But I felt bad. I asked him something rather personal and wanted an answer out of it. And the answer wasn't exactly the most kind and heartfelt one, either.

An awkward silence fell between us— at least, it felt awkward to me. I was still feeling guilty, but Tommy just held onto my hand, staring down at it for a long while. I blinked, shifting a little more to become comfortable. Tommy licked his lips, looking up at me with a sweet, gentle tug up at the lips, "He's proud of you, you know." He said. I frowned, looking over at him with a confused expression on my face.

"The Pharaoh, I mean. You probably don't fully realize it, but he's incredibly proud of how you're adjusting; learning, adapting, everything. And you've only been here, what, a month? If that?" Tommy said with a smile that was infectious. I was smiling back, blushing and feeling embarrassed. I looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath before looking back.

"Forgive me, but… Does he _truly_ like me?" I asked. It was my biggest concern. I knew that he was proud of me and I knew that he wanted me to be comfortable around him. But I was always so worried he only wanted me here because I had been a virgin…

Tommy laughed gently, "Yes, he does. He really does, Drake. And do you want to know how you can tell when he likes someone and when he doesn't?" He suggested. I frowned at first, before nodding once, deciding not to trust my voice to try and speak.

"It's in his eyes. He might be smiling, making jokes, but, to see the truth, you have to look at his eyes. If he likes you, his eyes are warm. They're unguarded, often light in color. If he doesn't, or it he's angry, it's like there's a wall behind them, shielding his truer emotions. They're dark." Tommy explained, his fingers tangled in my hair. He'd stopped in mid pet to tell me and simply had not yet continued.

"How long did it take you to figure all of that out?" I asked him, curious. It was incredible, to be honest, that Tommy was able to take away knowledge to that degree. Especially since most lesser people were instructed from birth never to look the Pharaoh in the eye unless he required it of you.

"After my first year of being here. I noticed it when he found out that some of the laundry boys had raided his wardrobe to sell jewels and necklaces on the black market. I've never seen him angrier since that day. Not because some of his property had been stolen and slightly damaged, but for the betrayal he felt from his workers. I remember, he sent them to work out at the pyramids as punishment. He was very quiet and reserved, didn't speak for a week. He didn't require my services, but I often spent my nights with him just to be there as comfort…" Tommy said, trailing off after a moment. I stared at him, unblinking and unbelieving that people would intentionally do things to hurt him to that degree. It wasn't… It wasn't right… And not for the obvious reasons, but… Pharaoh was a kind and gentle person… How could anyone do that to him?

"I… I can't imagine him ever being like that…" I said softly. Tommy smiled slightly, looking away for a moment.

"It hasn't happened since then. It's very rare for him to get so angry that he's just quite. More often than not, he sings when he's happy." Tommy said. I looked over at him quickly, surprised.

"The Pharaoh sings?" I exclaimed, and Tommy just laughed.

"Yes. Quite beautifully, too. Like Rah gifted him with the voice of angels." Tommy inquired, smiling sweetly. "For now, though, you should get some sleep. You've have an exhausting few days." He said, leaning forward and kissing my forehead. I grumbled, not wanting for him to leave or to go back to sleep, but the way he kept stroking my hair was quickly lulling me to perfect relaxation.

"Can you sing, Tommy?" I asked sleepily, and Tommy snorted.

"Not to save my life. I play guitar. One day, I'll play for you." He commented, leaning down and kissing me on the corner of my mouth. I felt his fingers run through my hair three more times before I was out like a light.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: I Don't Want To Live Without Your Hex…  
Adam's POV**

Watching Drake receive the ink was painful because I knew he was having a difficult time handling all of the pain. I was amazed that he got through the entire process without asking the inks-man to stop and I was so proud of him for braving it out… I was so proud of everything Drake had accomplished over the last month but this was, by far, the most stunning accomplishment.

However, that accomplishment left my pretty kitty bedridden for days. I hadn't seen him since the tattoo was finished and I could not stand to be away from him any longer. I had to see him, to make sure he was alright and not hating me for putting him through the pain.

I managed to slip away from my affairs to pay Drake a visit. I knocked lightly on his bedroom door and, for a moment, I was afraid he was sleeping. Would that not be my luck? Finally able to see my boy and not being able to because he was asleep.

A soft groan came from behind the door. "It's open," Drake called, his voice hoarse but stronger than it had been the minute after the tattoo had been finished. My poor kitty.

I pushed the wood door open, stepped in and closed the door behind me. "Drake?" I asked softly, walking over to the boy. He was on his stomach because he simply could not lay any other way. He seemed to be in pain but he turned his head out of his pillows so he could look at me.

"My Pharaoh?" he said, sounding a little caught off guard that I was standing next to him. I simply smiled, kneeling down next to the bed, my fingers running through his messy hair.

"I missed you," I said simply. "Not seeing you every day is extremely upsetting," I whispered, leaning over to pressing my lips to his hair. He whined quietly, probably yearning for more than just a peck on the forehead. My heart slammed into my ribs. Just a month ago I was presented with a beautiful boy who had never even been kissed, let alone touched. Now he was willing to put his entire being into my hands.

Drake's big, blue eyes met mine and he blushed lightly, as usual. "I miss you too, Pharaoh," he whispered, sounding bashful but honest. I smiled, running my fingers through his hair again, like he really was my kitty.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. He only sighed, looking away from me for a minute.

"Honestly? I feel like a lion ripped my back out with his teeth…" he admitted, looking upset by his honesty.

I only smiled, wanting to calm his nerves. "I know it hurts now. Trust me, I do," I whispered, remembering the days I had received inking on my own back. "But I promise, it will fade soon and I am sure it will be beautiful." His face flamed again and I couldn't help the smirk that played across my lips. This boy was so beautiful, so amazing and yet, the simplest compliments got him flustered.

"I know it will, My Pharaoh," he said, smiling warmly at me despite the redness of his face.

"I'm going to check your back, alright?" I asked him, still petting his hair carefully. He seemed to freeze up for a minute before relaxing again. It reminded me of how he performed during our more… intimate moments. I had to remind myself that Drake was in pain and currently in no condition for sex. I could not afford to let my arousal and physical attraction towards the boy to get in the way of him recovering.

"Alright," he said after a moment. My hand left his hair which pulled a soft whine from the boy's lips. He was just too adorable… He really was. I pressed a kiss into his hair before lifting the thing sheet away from Drake's small form. He wore a pair of loose fitting shorts that looked rather soft and comfortable to lay in, but that was all that graced his body. My eyes focused more on the boy's back, however. I couldn't let myself think about what he was wearing because then I would probably think about stripping him of whatever he was wearing…

Royal ink stood out in a large contrast to Drake's pale skin. Wings started at his neck, crossing like they did for Tommy's and spread down over his shoulder blades. Just like Tommy's these wings started in a dark, almost black color and faded into soft shades that looked almost white. While, one difference did stand out. Tommy's wings had been blue, Drake's were more of a purple with blue tints. Between the wings was, in a bluish purple color, accents with brilliant gold, was the Eye of Horus to show protection from the Gods. Surround the eye were many hieroglyphics that represented things such as protection and compassion. All promises that I, myself had made to Tommy years ago and had now made to Drake. Despite the slight change in color, his tattoo matched Tommy's perfectly and it was beautiful.

"You've still got quite a bit of bruising but not nearly as bad as it was. You are healing quite nicely," I said softly and I put a gentle hand on Drake's back, tracing out one of the wings with the pads of my fingers. He whimpered, his face twisting into pain and I frowned, pulling my hand back. I had not been thinking about the pain that motion would have caused, I was just so caught off guard by how beautiful the mark was and, for the fact that Drake was now truly mine.

"I apologize, it's just… it's so stunning," I whispered and, as if on command, Drake's face lit up to a soft red color. "I am positive that, once you have fully healed, it will be even more beautiful," I added and his face deepened in color.

"Really?" he asked, bashful as always. Sometimes it was just too hard to resist teasing him because he reactions were always to precious. Tommy was not nearly as fun to tease because he was not bashful or shy.

I knelt back down next to Drake, smiling brightly at him. "Yes, my pet. It will be gorgeous just like you are," I said and he shyly buried his face into his pillow. I just chuckled, I could not help myself and I ran my fingers gently through his hair. After a few minutes of silence, he looked back up at me, his blue eyes shinning. Rah were they beautiful…

"Drake?" I mused after another short silence filled with nothing but my petting his hair.

"Yes, My Pharaoh?" he asked, sounding a little tired. I knew I would have to let him sleep soon, but I wanted to talk to him for, at least, a little while.

His eyes met mine again and I smiled at the boy. Even though he was in pain, he looked happy, almost content. "I am going to send money out to your family. Sort of as a thank you for being so good to me, for trusting me…" I said, laying my head down on the bed so my eyes were completely level with his. "I want to let them know that you are doing alright and that you have not been shipped off to work on the pyramids, like they expected. I also want to make sure they have the means to live happily without too much worry about money."

Drake's eyes grew wide and he smiled brightly at me, a smile that I did not get to see very often and cherished every time he wore it. "Really? Oh, Pharaoh thank you! Thank you so much!" he exclaimed and I was sure that, if he could, he would have thrown himself into my arms. He almost looked like he wanted to try, but his pain exceeded his want to be closer to me.

I smiled at him, cupping his cheek in one of my hands. "I know they were struggling. You would not be here if they did not have money issues. I do not want them to suffer any more than they already have and, of course, I want your parents to know that their son is doing alright," I said, drawing gentle circles into Drake's cheek with my thumb.

"Just my mother, actually," he whispered and I frowned.

"Beg pardon?" I asked. I never asked Drake about his family. I figured it was probably a sensitive subject considering I took him from them…

He closed his eyes, smiling softly. "My father died almost four and a half years ago," he said quietly.

"Oh… Oh, I am so sorry…" I whispered, looking away and feeling slightly ashamed.

He shook his head gently, nuzzling his face into my hand. "It's alright, My Pharaoh. He… was not very fond of me. Before he died, we still had a lot of money issues but we were making our minimum payments. I tried to find work to aid my father but there just wasn't anything for me to do. He always called me a failure for not being able to take care of my family…" he muttered. "After a while, I started to believe him and, I hate to say this about my own father but, when he passed away, I was relieved at first. But then I looked around and realized I was what was left to care for my family and I…" I felt one tear drip down his cheek and into my hand. "I could not do it…" He sounded disappointed with himself, almost ashamed and my heart clenched in my chest.

"Not finding work is not your fault, Drake, there simply isn't much work to be had. I am trying to change that for my people but it is… very difficult to say the least," I whispered, stroking his cheek in attempts to calm him. The last thing I wanted was to upset him.

"But it's alright now because, thanks to you, I am providing for my family," he whispered, a soft smile pulling at his lips again. I smiled back, meeting his gaze as he opened his eyes.

"What is your family like, Drake?" I asked him.

He did not lose his smile but he sounded a little sad when he spoke. I really could not blame his sadness. "My mother and siblings are really all that's left. My father and grandparents have all passed on and both of my parents were, surprisingly, only children growing up," he said softly. "I have three little brothers and two little sisters. I was the oldest, obviously. That's why I am here. The second oldest is my brother and he's sixteen. Then a younger sister, fourteen. Another brother at eleven, a young brother at eight and my youngest sibling is only four. My father passed away when my mother was pregnant with her," he explained. Five brothers and sisters, all younger that him? Sweet Rah.

"That's quite a family you have there," I commented and he laughed faintly. I imagined laughing hurt his back so he attempted not to do it very often.

"They were a handful but all very wonderful children. My youngest sister doesn't quite understand that I am her brother. She thinks I'm her daddy because I was always the one to take care of her since my father wasn't around anymore," he added, his tone filling with love and adoration.

I smiled wide. Drake, like me, had experienced hardships in his family with a family who was less than loving. I do not believe I could handle five little siblings though. Neil had been handful enough… "What about your mother? What was she like?" I asked, wondering if she was anything at all like my mother. Maybe they would be best friends in the after life.

"She is the most wonderful, gentle woman I have ever met. She's so compassionate and understanding, even when she is displeased or upset, she puts other before herself. She always tried to tell me, despite what my father said, that I was a wonderful son and she couldn't ask for better," he said and I could hear the tears in his tone. Thankfully he was not crying yet. "When Father passed away, she tried to make ends meet but it was just… too much for the two of us to handle without my father."

"She sounds wonderful… A lot like my mother, actually," I mused, and Drake opened his eyes again to look at me. They were curious, as the ocean often is, but he did not ask. Perhaps he felt it was not his place or he was just going to let me open up to him when I was ready.

"She always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. I always told her I didn't know what it was I wanted. I used to believe I wanted to be married to a beautiful woman and, I don't know, have a few kids with her. To have a job that kept us living comfortably, but as I got older, that dream faded. I did not know what I wanted at all. There was no time for romance in my life because I was always trying to make money or take care of my siblings when my mother couldn't." He laughed softly, like a fallen angel. "Which explains why I was a virgin when I came here. I never had a moment to lose it."

I laughed with him. Honestly, with how Drake described his life, he seemed to never have time. He was never looking for a boyfriend or a girlfriend and he really just never had the chance to sneak off with someone for a bit of love making. Not that I was really complaining. I loved that I was Drake's first and his only… So I was a little selfish when it came to my frail little kitten. I couldn't help it…

"Did you ever find anything you wanted to do with your life?" I asked, curious to know if he had any dreams he'd like to fulfill. Just because he was more often than not, in my bed at night didn't mean that he couldn't fulfill his own dreams while staying here.

He blushed lightly, a ghost of a smile drifting across his face. "I used to draw a lot when I was younger. I would rearrange the furnishing in the house to make them look better too, and my parents would get so angry with me. It… sounds stupid but there's something about art and creating something beautiful out of nothing that simply… fascinates me. I can't explain it, but my mother always told me that I would be a great artist," he said and that's when I noticed it; the entire room had been rearranged. The layout for this room had been the same as all the others, but Drake completely changed it and I honestly had to say, it did look much better. "Maybe it's stupid, but I would have to say that if I ever decided to make a career for myself, I would want to be an artist."

I smiled brightly and I leaned forward, kissing him gently against his lips. He moaned, whining as I pulled away. "There's nothing stupid about wanting to create beauty. Where better to originate from than someone as young and beautiful as you are?" I asked and he flushed again. "Perhaps, once you've healed, we can help you out with that dream of yours. There is no reason it cannot become reality."

His eyes went slightly wide but he smiled. "I never imagined that the Pharaoh of Egypt would be so… wonderful to be around," he whispered. "So gentle and kind… Loving even." He laughed again. "I always thought you would be someone terrifying and ruthless but you are… Forgive me, My Pharaoh but, you really are like a giant version of the stuffed animals I used to sleep with when I was not more than two feet tall."

I blushed wildly at that, and, by the look on Drake's face, he was feeling rather smug about getting the Pharaoh of Egypt flustered like that. "Well, my father was more like what you imagined. I never wanted to be like him," I hummed, trying to relax my heated face. My hand returned to Drake's hair, petting and massaging his scalp carefully. He moaning quietly, his eyes slipping shut and I began to sing to him, willing him into the slumber that he desperately needed.

Before he fell asleep, a wide smile spread across his beautiful lips and he purred quite loudly. I felt my heart skip a few beats as he drifted off. Not once did I stop singing to him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: I have never known the likes of this…**

 **Tommy's POV**

It was about another week before Drake was able to start moving and sitting up. The tattoo had settled nicely into his skin and the bruising had finally disappeared. He hadn't really been able to get out of bed much, but he seemed determined to do it today. And today was proper, since the Pharaoh had told everyone that his advisers would be here by sundown, and they would be staying for, at least, a week, if not more.

I hurried down the hallway, carrying the fresh clothes that Pharaoh wanted myself and Drake to wear tonight at dinner. It was to be a bit of a different occasion. Instead of eating in the dining hall with everyone else, Drake and I were to accompany the Pharaoh and his advisers for a more private meal. And because of such, Pharaoh wanted us to look our best. And looking our best was something that Drake and I did very well on a daily basis.

Clothes in one hand, I reached forward and pushed Drake's bedroom door open. I popped my head in to see him slowly rolling onto his side before sitting up. Being bedridden for nearly two weeks left him weak and stiff. I smiled slightly, walking further in and setting the clothes down on his vanity. It was still a little strange, getting used to the way he'd changed the layout of his room. But, to be honest, I liked his style and the way he positioned his furniture. I'd been tempted to ask him to redecorate my room when he had his strength again.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him, sitting down on the chair next to his vanity. His hair hung in greasy, sweaty curtains around his face— poor boy hadn't been able to clean very much because of the inking. I imagined he would want to take a bath before tonight.

"I've been better, but I'm okay," he said with a smile, pushing his hair out of his face. He grimaced at the feel of it and I couldn't help the small, sympathetic smile I flashed in his direction. "Would Pharaoh mind, terribly, if we bathed before tonight?" I'd told him earlier in the week that Pharaoh's advisers would be here tonight.

"I think he'd prefer it, honestly." I chuckled and Drake just rolled his eyes, blushing lightly. I stood from my chair, walking over to him and helping him stand up. He sighed, nodding once in thanks before I let go of his arm. He took a few small steps before stretching his arms above his head, arching his back slightly. He sighed happily, looking content and relieved. I shook my head, smiling and gathering the clothes off of the vanity.

"Come. It'll be much faster if we bathe together," I told him. Drake eyed me with a small smirk on his lips, which made my heart skip a beat in my chest. What was this boy thinking?

"Tommy, when do we _not_ bathe together? Other than these past few weeks when I was unable?" He asked. I shrugged. He had a point, to say the least. I chuckled, letting my hand rest on his lower back as we walked towards the bathroom. People were running back and forth, preparing this and that for our guests for tonight. I followed Drake into the bathroom before shutting the door and crossing to the tub, turning the faucets to let steaming, hot water splash into the tub.

Drake stripped himself of his trousers, leaving them on the floor as he sat on the edge of the tub, his back to me and his feet sitting in the water. I glanced over at him, staring at the inking on his back. It was beautiful, complete match to mine with a slight difference. His wings were more purple with blue hints. Mine were just blue. But I liked the difference between us. It was like the differences of our personalities. The colors of our wings showed who we were as people…

"Tommy?" Drake's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I blushed lightly, smiling at him. He frowned and I just shook my head, stripping of my lazy clothes— trousers and a loose shirt— before stepping into the tub beside him. He slid in, the waters sloshing around his chest. The tub was deep, which was nice; it allowed for excellent soaking. I reached over, shutting off the spray of water before pulling Drake into my arms, nuzzling the back of his neck. He purred, smiling and leaning into me.

"Missed me?" He asked, his voice soft and boyish. I blushed, though he didn't see it and I kissed his shoulder, just above the feathers of his right wing.

"Yes." I admitted, reaching over for the soap and dipping it into the water before rubbing his shoulders with it, the suds catching the sweat and grime on his skin, cleansing it away. I washed his shoulders and his back, before rinsing away the suds. I slid the soap over his arms and town to his hands, leaning my chin against his shoulder. My free arm was looped around his waist, holding him close to me as I washed his arms and then his chest.

Drake leaned, heavily, against me, his head resting on my shoulder. I slid the soap along his thighs and calves, washing everything I could reach while pressing kisses into his neck and hairline. He moaned softly as my hand brushed along his groin, and I chuckled. I kissed his cheek before rinsing off of his chest and arms, and handing him the soap. He took it from me with gentle hands and turned me around so that my back was to him. He washed me the same way I'd done him, back first, then shoulders, arms, chest, legs. He teased me with kisses on my skin and bites on my neck.

He set the soap aside, turning my head with his hand and pressed a soft kiss onto my lips. I moaned, reaching back and running my fingers into his hair, kissing him back. This was part of why I missed him so much. While we both belonged to the Pharaoh, I enjoyed the moments that we had together like this. I moaned softly into his lips, shivering as his tongue slid between my teeth. He'd learned so much so quickly.

I shifted in Drake's arms, turning towards him and pulling him closer to me. Our lips never left one another's, and I forced his tongue back into his own mouth with mine, moaning as I pulled on his hair. He groaned, digging his nails into my shoulders as I straddled his hips with my knees. Our mouths meshed, clicking and popping, wet tongues sliding back and forth. I pushed Drake into the wall, grinding against him. He moaned, sliding his fingers up into my hair and pulling hard.

I groaned, untangling my fingers from his hair and cupping his face in my hands, grinding my hips into his again. His lips dropped into a moan and I pushed my tongue into his mouth again, shivering as he moaned into my lips. He tugged on my hair again as one of my hands dropped, sliding down his wet chest and across his stomach, my fingers curling around his erection. He arched, breaking our kiss and groaning. His head rested against the wall, tilted back and exposing a stretch of neck. I leaned forward, kissing it once, nipping it gently, hard enough to make him shiver but too soft to leave a mark.

"T-Tommy…" He moaned as my hand moved in a swift motion under the water, stroking him delicately. My heart was thrashing in my chest and, yet, there was something nagging me in the back of my mind. It was telling me that I shouldn't be doing this. That it wasn't right— Drake belonged to Pharaoh, not me. We both belonged to him. And sure, Pharaoh would, often, let us perform before him, but this wasn't commanded of us. This was something Pharaoh had no knowledge of… It was enticing, though, playing with Pharaoh's boy behind his back, but I was beginning to feel guilty about it…

"Tommy!" Drake whined, bucking up into my touch. My thoughts and feelings of guilt dispersed and I kissed his neck again, shifting my hand and palming his erection as well as mine in my hand. He shivered as I tilted my head into the conjunction of his neck and shoulder, breathing hard and moaning. One of his hands dropped from my hair, covering over the hand that was stroking us both, adding to the pressure.

"D-Drake…." I moaned into his skin, biting down on my bottom lip. The walls were thick in the palace, but they all had ears. And the idea of someone hearing us and telling Pharaoh frightened me. But Drake and I were too far gone into the realm of need to stop now. I turned my head, kissing his throat gently.

"Tommy… I… Nngh, I…" Drake groaned, pulling my head back to kiss me gently. I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut as I stroked harder. I could feel the coil tightening in the base of my spine, and by the tension of Drake's body, I knew he was coming closer to his end like me.

"I— I know… I… Fuck!" I hissed, slamming my mouth over Drake's as my body convulsed, and I came into the water and a little on his skin. He came just after me in the same places. I slouched against him, breathing hard. His left hand remained fisted into my hair, his right taking mine beneath the surface of the water, our fingers lacing.

It took a moment for the realization of what had just happened to sink in. And when it did, I couldn't stop the blush that flamed across my cheeks. I'd… I'd just been intimate with Drake in a way that only the Pharaoh of Egypt was meant to. True, when asked for it, Drake and I would be intimate as a performance for the Pharaoh, but this was not asked for. This was no performance. This was on our terms, our own will… If Pharaoh found out about this, we'd both…

"Tommy?" Drake mumbled, running his fingers through my hair gently. I sighed, squeezing his hand with mine before kissing the corner of his mouth, resting my forehead against his.

"We cannot speak of this to Pharaoh… At all. If he hears of this, we'll… We'll be in trouble. Do you understand?" I asked, caressing his cheek with my fingers and staring him dead in the eye. He looked fearful. "Not a word." I told him. He nodded once and I kissed him again, feeling horrible that I was forcing Drake to keep a secret from the one man who'd done everything for us to make our lives better. Pharaoh gave us a place to sleep, a job, good food, money to our families… He treated us well, showed us compassion and respect, and all he asked for was that same respect and trust in return. And we were breaking the trust…

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Drake, feeling ashamed of myself. Yes, I was envious of Pharaoh's relationship with Drake. I was envious of their intimacy and the fact that I could not share that same intimacy with Drake myself. I was envious of the fact that I may never share it, truly. We belonged to Pharaoh— he _owned_ us… And he could just as easily dispose of us, too…

' _Pharaoh wouldn't do that, though. If you tell him the truth, he'll be angry, yes, but he'll get over it. He cares about you two too much to just get rid of you because you decided to kiss and touch just a little. It's not like you made love to him, Tommy. Calm down._ ' I wished, though, that I could believe my own thoughts. But there was something holding me back from changing my mind about keeping the secret…

Though I was ashamed of keeping a secret from Pharaoh, I was not, fully, ashamed of what I had done with Drake. I _liked_ what I did. I enjoyed it. Drake was… Drake, truly, was the _perfect_ boy. He was young, but he was quick to learn and never shied away from pleasing his master. He was bashful, considerate and sweet. Adorable beyond belief and utterly beautiful. Utterly perfect. Why couldn't I share in that with Pharaoh? Why couldn't I touch this perfect boy, too?

I kissed Drake again, helping him wash his hair before washing my own. We rinsed off and drained the tub, drying off and getting into our clothes. Small, tight-fitting shorts, sandals and the assortments of jewels and necklaces, much like we'd worn the day Drake was brought here. I helped him with his makeup, making it soft and nice, but with an edge of mystery. His hair had grown a little longer, and, despite Pharaoh's choice of keeping it down, the day was hot and I pulled it back into a neat ponytail. I styled my own hair just as neatly, keeping it out of my face before doing my makeup. Similar to Drake's, but a little heavier on the eyes.

Taking Drake's hand in mine, I pulled him out of the bathroom and down the hall, before letting go of it as we neared Pharaoh's chambers. We were to join him there before sundown, to hear a run through of what we were supposed to do and how we were to act in front of Brad and Cassidy. I, already, knew how to behave, but Drake did not, and Pharaoh just wanted me to be there as comfort for him.

I pulled open Pharaoh's doors, letting Drake walk in first. The King of Egypt was sitting at his vanity, wearing nothing but a pair of beige trousers and his sandals. He was styling his hair, keeping it out of his face like I had done. He looked up into the mirror, seeing us. A smile broke out on his features and he turned in his seat, standing to join us. Drake appeared at ease, as did I, but I knew, on the inside, we both were nervous wrecks after our scene in the bathroom.

"My boys," he said, kissing us each on the lips. Drake moaned softly, but I did not, though Pharaoh seemed to not notice in the slightest. He took us over to the vanity so he could sit back down and finish getting ready. "Tommy already knows this, but, Drake? My advisers, Cassidy and Brad, will be here at sundown— I'm sure you've heard— and, I just want you to know, they're good people." He looked at Drake through the mirror, and I could feel the boy tensing beside me, just as reaction.

"They're like me, compassionate and sweet. Though, they are my advisers, so they do not have quite the same opinions that I do, but there is no reason to be nervous around them, alright? Speak only when you're spoken to, address them as "sir". If they request a kiss, kiss them. I promise, though, it will _not_ excel beyond that." Drake nodded once, understanding and beginning to relax. But I could see, in his eyes, his was nervous. He looked so young again.

Pharaoh turned in his seat, staring up at the youth, "Tonight, after dinner, you two will come back here with me. It will just be us. Alright?" Drake nodded again, and Pharaoh smiled warmly at him, taking his hands. "You will do wonderfully, Drake. I have faith in you. Just relax." He said. Drake smiled back at him, but he still seemed tense. I reached over, putting a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him too. He would do fine, I was sure of it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: I Wonder, Day to Day, I Don't Like You…  
Drake's POV**

I was not entirely sure why what Tommy and I had done in the bath were so horrible. Honestly, Tommy and I got quite intimate in Pharaoh's bed. How was this really different? It was not like we had sex…

Regardless, I agreed not to say anything to anyone about it. What Tommy and I had done in the bath was the least of my problems anyway. I was much more worried about having dinner with Pharaoh's advisers. I knew now that their names were Cassidy and Brad. They had been at dinner the first couple of days I was here and, from what Tommy told me, I figured out that the adviser who had been sitting next to me was Brad.

I didn't like him.

Brad, although I did not know him, gave me this vibe that just…. Did not feel right. I know I was judging him without knowing him and maybe that night I was just being overly sensitive due to the massive changes that my life endured. But, Brad had been staring at me like I was something to eat and not a person. He gave me the creeps… I just hoped that, once we were seated for dinner, I would not be sitting by Brad.

"You look stunning," Tommy said, pulling me from my thoughts. I blushed lightly, pulling my tight shorts up my thighs. I fastened them, allowing them to rest snuggly on my hips. Unlike Tommy, I had slight curves. Nothing like a woman's body but my curves were visible, especially when wearing such revealing clothing. Tommy had no curves to speak of.

"Thank you. So do you, but you always do," I responded, shifting the pony tail Tommy had made more to the side, the way I liked it. He took my hand tightly in his and pulled me out of the bathroom. We held hands until the Pharaoh's chambers came into view and we then pulled away, walking into the chambers one after the other. Pharaoh discussed briefly with me of how to act, which were all things I probably could have figured out for myself, but I nodded anyway muttering a soft "yes, My Pharaoh".

He stood up, smiling at me and pressing his lips to my forehead, stroking my hair gently and promising that once dinner was over, he would bring us both back to his bedroom and we would just spend a nice night together. Honestly, that excited me because I missed being touched. Since I had become the Pharaoh's pleasure servant, I've become accustomed to being touched and loved at least once every few days. Now I have gone two weeks without more than a peck on the forehead or the lips…

But I _needed_ to get through the fucking dinner first. Pharaoh had said that if Cassidy or Brad were to ask for a kiss, I was to comply. I prayed to the Gods that Brad would not ask that of me because I did not want to kiss him. I did not even want to be around him.

I felt almost guilty for feeling this way towards one of Pharaoh's most trusted advisers. I also felt a little guilty because I really did not know either of the advisers. Why should I be judging one of them before I even really got to know anything about them? That first impression was locked in my mind and, I supposed that first impressions were important. If Pharaoh had not been impressed by me in the first few minutes of meeting me, he would not have kept me.

Pharaoh lead us to a small dining area, a part of the palace I had actually never been in. It was small but gorgeous and Brad sat with Cassidy, waiting for Pharaoh, I was sure. Brad looked up first, smiling at Pharaoh. Then his eyes fell on Tommy and then myself. They lingered on me for a few moments but it felt like an eternity to me. I felt my face heat up as he stood up, followed by Cassidy.

"Oh, My Pharaoh, you certainly have the best taste in boys," Brad said, kissing Pharaoh on the cheek. Cassidy chuckled, kissing the opposite cheek.

"Forgive him, My Pharaoh, you know how he is," Cassidy said, smiling happily. He seemed so carefree and so sweet, just like Pharaoh. While he was a bit more build and more intimidating in appearance, he seemed to be a lot less devious. I was biased though…

Pharaoh seemed completely at ease and so did Tommy, so I tried to seem just as at ease. "It is quite alright. I know my boys are irresistible to say the least," Pharaoh commented, chuckling. He motioned Tommy and myself forward to stand next to him. His arms wrapped around mine and Tommy's waists. "You both know Tommy. This is Drake," he said, nodding his head down towards me. "You were both here on his first day, but he did not say much. He has gotten quite active around here though."

Brad smiled, stepping in front of me. "Oh yes, I thought you looked familiar," he whispered, cupping my cheek in one hand. "Now I remember you." Something told me that he never truly forgot me, he was only pretending like he had. "Such a beautiful boy…" he whispered and there was something about the way he said it that left my skin chilled. Nobody else really seemed to notice.

"Yes, yes he is," Pharaoh said happily, pulling me tightly against him for a brief moment. The familiar want clawed at my stomach but I knew I needed to be good. I needed to get through dinner while being on my best behavior. I knew Pharaoh would reward me once dinner was over… I was just too impatient. "No, let us eat," Pharaoh said after our short moment of being close.

"Sounds wonderful, My Pharaoh," Cassidy said, his voice sing song and beautiful. We all took our seats. As usual, I sat to Pharaoh's left with Tommy across from me. However, I did not get my wish of not sitting next to Brad. Of course I got stuck sitting with him and it made me feel uncomfortable because, just as he had the day of my arrival, he kept looking over at me, staring for a moment and smiling before looking away. Honestly, it was really beginning to freak me out but Pharaoh had instructed me to speak only when spoken to, so I remained silent.

Pharaoh and his advisers spoke rapidly throughout the five courses presented to us. Normally we had only three courses but tonight was a special occasion, which called for nicer (and by nicer, I really meant more revealing) clothing and rich amounts of food. I was started to get full before I got through the second course. By the fourth, I simply could not eat anymore and I pushed my plate away from me, across to Tommy. He gladly ate it which, to my disgust, was just like a _man_. How revolting…

"You aren't going to eat anymore?" Brad asked me. At first, I had absolutely no idea he was speaking to me. He and Cassidy had been so interested in talking with Pharaoh that I had just become accustom to not speaking. It took him tapping me on the shoulder and Pharaoh nudging me gently before I actually looked at him.

My eyes met with Brad's and a spark ran up my spine. Not the kind you feel when you like someone, either. "Oh, I am just… not very hungry anymore… Sir…" I muttered, quickly looking away from Brad. Adam- _Pharaoh_ put a hand gently over mine.

"He is a farm boy from a large family. He is not used to having so much presented to him in one sitting," Pharaoh said, smiling slightly. "He does not have the appetite of a normal teenage boy, that is for sure." My face heated up lightly. Since coming here, I have felt more and more like a young boy. The baby of the family, really. It was something I really was not used to because I had always been the oldest when I was living with my family. Always the man of the house…

Brad smiled slightly but it looked more like a smirk to me. "Well, he is quite thin…" he mused. Why did this conversation have to turn to me? Were they not just talking about matters that dealt with all of Egypt? Important affairs that would make differences in everyone's lives? Why oh why would the conversation that was so serious just stop and turn to me, a pleasure servant to the Pharaoh but nothing important to all of Egypt?

"Bradley," Pharaoh said sharply, smiling just a tad. "Yes, he is thin, but he is my beautiful boy and I would prefer you not point out everything about him," he added, his hand tightening over mine.

The adviser just smiled as innocently as possible but it looked forced to me. Honestly, that scared me a lot and I wanted to get away from him, but I could not afford to make a scene, especially not in front of Pharaoh and Tommy. Maybe I could talk to one or both of them later about the vibes I was getting from Brad.

No, I could not say anything to Pharaoh. Brad was one of his most trusted advisers and I could not step out of line like that. He probably would not believe there was anything wrong anyway… Maybe I could tell Tommy but he knew the advisers as well. He thought they were good people. What if he did not believe me either?

What if I was seriously just being paranoid? What if I was going partially crazy or I was looking for attention?

Rah, what was I saying? I'm questioning myself now?

"How on Earth did you find boys like this?" Cassidy asked, glancing from me to Tommy. He didn't give me that uncomfortable feeling like Brad did. I could not explain the feeling other than, when I was around Brad, my chest felt tight and my stomach started doing flips but it was different from when I was with Pharaoh, or even when I was with Tommy. When I was around Brad, I felt like I could not breathe and, if suffocating did not kill me fast enough, drowning in my own fear would surely cause my heart to stop. It was, as if, Brad was not the sweet, gentle person Pharaoh and Tommy said, but a man waiting in the shadows to swoop down and take his next victim without anyone knowing it.

"Both were presented to me when my guards took them from their families because they could not cover all of their bills. They… stood out among the rest and I…" Pharaoh smiled sheepishly, a light blush rushing across his cheeks. "And I had to have them…" he admitted. Since he had chosen me from that small group of teenagers, he hadn't been presented with new boys. I assumed that, with me, he was satisfied enough to no longer desire new boys.

Brad smiled again and I really wished he would quit doing it. "I can't imagine why," he said, a bit of teasing in his tone.

Pharaoh simply rolled his eyes, chuckling softly. "Well, since it seems we will no longer be discussing important issues tonight, perhaps we should call it a night?" Pharaoh suggested, stretching some in his seat. "We have all day to discuss things tomorrow," he added, standing from his seat.

Cassidy nodded, smiling pleasantly and standing up. Brad smiled but I could see the disappointment in his eyes. He stood as Tommy and I did and he put a hand gently on my shoulder again. I thought that perhaps my skin my start to decay at his touch. "Might you honor me with a kiss tonight?" he whispered, turning me to face him. I blinked, swallowing. Pharaoh had told me that if one of them asked for a kiss, I was to give it to them, but I did not want to kiss him…

I knew I could not disobey Pharaoh though, so I offered the best fake smile I could and I leaned forward, pressing my lips gently to his. The shock I felt between the contact was not a pleasurable one but I knew Brad didn't feel the same about that. I heard his moan, however soft it might have been. Nobody else seemed to notice, and when I pulled back, there was something in his eyes that I didn't like. "Thank you," he whispered, smirking at me.

"You are welcome, Sir," I whispered, smiling faintly and retreating to Pharaoh's side. He wrapped an arm around my waist, taking me toward his chambers with Tommy.

"Good night boys, I shall see the two of you tomorrow," Pharaoh said over his shoulder.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Sweet perfumes of incense, graceful rooms of alabaster stone…**

 **Adam's POV**

Drake had tried so hard to be on his best behavior, but his body had been rigid with tension all through dinner. Whether he was uncomfortable or nervous, I wasn't sure. Perhaps there was both. He seemed incredibly stiff in his words and actions up to the point that I was walking out of the small dining area with my hands pressed to the small's of both his and Tommy's backs. Tonight was our night to unwind together. First time in two or three weeks, if I remembered correctly.

The familiar ache of want was already tightening its sinful coil in the pit of my stomach as we neared the doors of my chamber. My hands felt heavy against their skin and I had a fleeting urge to shove them through the chamber door. Something was clawing in my stomach to dominate. To mark them both. The reason for this want was unknown to me, but the painful desire was familiar enough to me.

Tommy reached forward, pulling open the door and stepping aside for me and Drake to enter. I took Tommy's wrist in my grasp, tugging him forward. He pulled the door with him, and it slammed shut behind us. Drake jumped, turning to me as I brought him close to me, pressing a hard kiss to his mouth. He moaned instantly, his fingers digging into my broad shoulders. Tommy stood directly behind me, his thin body pressed to mine. His lips left feathery touches between my shoulders, his tongue marking the outlines of the tattoos in my skin.

My tongue darted into Drake's wet mouth, tasting the caverns of his cheeks and the muscle, sliding back and forth. Heated moans were pouring from his throat into mine as Tommy's nimble fingers worked effortlessly to strip us of our necklaces and jewels. We would have no need for them tonight. The tedious yet necessary matters were done and taken care of. Now… Now it was just us.

My hands palmed Drake's face as I kissed him before I broke it, pressing another to his cheek before turning my head to face Tommy. He was standing on the step above me, just barely towering by an inch or so. He leaned down, his lips meeting mine in a gentle kiss. His tongue slid along the edge of my lower lip before splitting the seam and sliding inside, warm and heavy. I groaned, taking another step down and winding an arm around his waist.

"My Pharaoh—" Drake's voice was soft, needy. I broke mine and Tommy's kiss sooner than I had with Drake, and I glanced back over to him. In the moonlight, his eyes were glittering with desire, his hands gripping onto my arm and my hand, pulling me towards the bed.

My heart stuttered in my chest as I stared down at him. He held onto me like he needed me for more than what his presence was required of. He squeezed my hand in his, lacing our fingers together like he needed me for more than what I requested of. He held me like he needed me for me. My mouth opened in a soft gasp— his face was so young, looking so innocent. Like I had never marked him, never touched him. But he needed me… Drake… I blinked, and, for a moment, he appeared older…

 _Alexander_ …

No. Drake was _not_ Alexander. Drake was Drake— my beautiful boy. _Mine_. He pulled on me again, turning away to guide me to the massive bed in the center of the room. The moon seemed to spotlight his shoulders and back, illuminating the tattoos, the marks that claimed him as mine. I glanced back at Tommy, reaching out for him and taking his hand in mine. We were a chain. A chain of lovers taking the path to our home…

Drake turned back to me as I stepped closer. One hand still held mine, but the other slid up my stomach, resting along the curve of my neck as he stood on his toes to kiss me again. I moaned, letting go of Tommy's hand to weave fingers into Drake's hair, pulling it free of the ponytail that it had been pulled back in. The hair I was not holding cascaded around his face, hanging around his shoulders. I could hear Tommy climbing onto the bed, waiting for us while stripping the last of his jewels as well as his sandals.

When my lips parted from Drake's, a small band of saliva connected them, and I chuckled, snapping it. I pressed another kiss to his mouth before taking both of his hands and pulling him up onto the bed next to Tommy. Drake helped me remove my sandals before discarding his own, and we were all left in only the articles of clothing that covered the most private aspects.

I palmed Drake's face again, leaving sweeps of feather kisses with the barest teases of my tongue, pulling the most beautiful moans from within his chest. He was sitting on his knees, threading his fingers into my hair and pulling, expressing with his body that he wanted more. Tommy shifted behind Drake, pressing gentle, soft pecks into the youth's shoulders and neck, digging the pads of his fingers into Drake's sides and dragging down, adding pressure before digging his nails in. Drake arched into me, crying out and tilting his head back.

I stared at the two of them for a moment, watching as Tommy pressed a kiss to Drake's hairline before attacking his mouth, digging his nails deeper into the boy's hips. I moaned softly, my eyes locking onto Tommy's lips, red and slightly swollen as they pulled away. I reached forward, caressing Drake's cheek before moving past him, sliding my fingers into his hair. A simple, careful gesture. But my fingers tightened and I tugged Tommy forward by his hair. Drake gasped, staring at me with wide and fearful eyes. I looked over at him, keeping my hand tight in Tommy's golden locks, but my expression was soft.

"I'm not hurting him, Drake… Tommy… Tommy can handle my rough nature…" I whispered, pressing a kiss to Drake's forehead. He seemed to relax, but his eyes were warily watching my hand, still fisted tightly into Tommy's hair. The blond's eyes were closed, his jaw slack in a moan. I glanced over to Drake again, "Watch," I told him, tightening my hand and pulling Drake onto his knees and off of his shins. He moaned, eyes closed in ecstasy as he arched, one hand curled around my wrist, the other on my hip.

Drake's eyes glazed over for the briefest of moments in what looked to be the deepest, richest lust I'd seen yet. I inhaled slowly, bringing Tommy down to kiss him hard. Tommy moaned into my lips, dropping the hand that clenched my wrist, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer. I tugged on his locks again, forcing another moan out of him. I was so focused on kissing Tommy and pulling on his hair I almost didn't feel Drake's hands on my hips, his lips pressing delicate kisses into my sticky shoulder.

"M-my Pharaoh…" Tommy whined, grinding his hips into mine. I shivered, pleasure spiking up my spine before I glanced down, seeing his shorts failing miserably as hiding erection that had grown. I smirked, kissing Tommy again before turning towards Drake. I had an idea in mind, and I wanted Drake to be a part of it… I ran my fingers through his hair, ghosting a kiss against his cheek.

"My boy… I want you to watch… Pay close attention. _Learn_." I emphasized the last word, before motioning him to sit where he could, clearly, see everything Tommy and I did. His eyes were wide, curious and yet eager to know, eager to learn.

I turned back to Tommy, trailing my fingers along his cheekbones. His eyes were dazed, clouded with lust and desire. He leaned into my touch, his lids fluttering closed as he leaned in. I kissed him gently, our lips barely touching, tongues barely grazing. My hands slid down his shoulders to his hips, my thumbs hooking into the material of his shorts. One slipped in, stroking his member before I palmed it. Tommy arched into me as I stripped him of the one thing that was covering him.

I barely registered Drake moaning, but I didn't turn and act on it. I was focused on Tommy. I was focused on giving a lesson to the new pupil… I mentally chuckled to myself, taking Tommy's hands and guiding them to the waistband of my pants, helping him to pull them off. It took him a moment to understand my motive before he grabbed them himself, slowly stripping me, our lips still ghosting together. Tommy tossed the pants aside, gently kissing the underside of my jaw before touching my neck. I tilted my head back, moaning softly. His lips were warm to my already sweating skin. The night was hot— hotter than most.

Moonlight poured through the ceiling windows, sweat soaking my skin as well as the bodies of my boys. Tommy pressed kiss after kiss into my neck, on my chest and on my thighs. I ran my fingers through his hair, pulling every few moments and hearing moans falling off his plump lips. I smiled slightly, tilting my head back as he exhaled against my member, his tongue darting out and licking the underside. I arched, my hands lying flat on the sheets of the bed, my head tilted back as my chest rose and fell with breath.

"Tommy…" I whispered, hearing a delicate moan. I didn't move from my position though, feeling Tommy's lips wrap around the head and suck gently. My eyes slid shut, my jaw dropping into a breathy groan as his tongue covered every inch, cleaning me of the precum that had dripped out and coated my skin. My fingers tightened in Tommy's hair, pulling hard before pushing him farther down onto me. He inhaled through his nose, swallowing me entirely, humming with a warm breath.

"Mm… Sweet Rah…" I moaned, lifting my head back up to stare down at the blond. It had to have been several months since the last time Tommy pleased me to this degree. So eager, so yearning to serve. So needy to take me in his mouth like this. Yes, it had been months, because I'd found little use for Tommy in the few weeks before finding Drake. And before then I'd only made love to him… Or fucked his brains out. Never this.

Another gentle moan, so soft and serene. I was intrigued and I wanted to look, but Tommy's lips, molding around my erection as he bobbed his head, were just a little more fascinating. I figured that Drake was just turned on, enjoying what he was watching, what he was learning. I smirked, petting Tommy's hair as he sucked. I gnawed on my bottom lip, letting my eyes close again as pleasure began to take over my mind and body. Tommy was so talented that this, knowing every spot that drove me crazy when licked or bit just right…

"Aahh…" It was too loud this time. I moaned, opening my eyes and, blinking once, I looked over to Drake. My heart slammed to a brief stop against the cage of my ribs and I let my mouth drop open in a silent gasp.

Drake's eyes were squeezed shut, his jaw slack ever so slightly. His face was flush, his skin glistening with sweat. He'd pulled his shorts off at some point, for the were discarded to the edge of the bed, just barely hanging on. He had his member palmed in one hand, stroking himself with gentle tugs and twists of the wrist. I forgot to breathe for a moment just by looking at him. I'd never seen him so beautiful… So lost in his own world of pleasure that he wasn't aware that I was staring at him.

I heard Tommy muffle a soft groan, and my fingers tightened in his hair to pull him off of me. He moaned, whining softly before my hand curled along his jaw, forcing him to looking over at Drake. His swollen, precum-covered lips opened in a gasp and he stared with me at the youth. I let go of Tommy's jaw, staring breathless at Drake. He moaned softly every few moments, his chest heaving with pants.

I was transfixed on the way his hand moved; swift tugs and twists, his thumb swiping over the slit now and then. I whimpered, wondering how it would feel to have his hand bring me to my own undoing. How could he have learned so much about pleasure and the act of loving in such a short amount of time. Disregarding his time healing from his brief stomachache, the days after every scene and then his inking, he'd really only been actively serving for, maybe, a week. A _week_ , to learn and perform…

He was a natural. He was a natural in the art of design and paint as well as love. Tommy was too, but there were things I had to teach him, myself. Drake was only, truly, taught to kiss, and he'd picked it up quick, from what I'd discovered on his first night. And with Tommy's guidance, he was the perfect boy, even if he had been a virgin. And now? Now he appeared so pure and delicate, but performed like a true lover…

Drake's breathing was getting harder, more ragged as his hand moved faster. He still hadn't noticed that Tommy and I had stopped in our act to watch. To be honest, I would've stopped watching me, myself, to witness this. But there was something burning in my stomach to stop him. I inhaled slowly, reaching forward and taking Drake's wrist in my hand, stopping his motion. With my other hand, I squeezed the base of his member, forcing his orgasm back. His eyes shot open, meeting mine before his face flushed the deepest red I'd seen it go in weeks.

"M-my Pharaoh…" He whispered, appearing ashamed for pleasing himself. I didn't speak. I moved forward, kissing him softly, one hand holding his wrist and the other climbing up his chest to palm his face. My tongue slid between his teeth, mingling with his own. He tasted sweet, kissed gently and passionately. My heart pounded in my chest like a drum, making me dizzy with emotion and pleasure.

"P-Pharaoh…" Drake moaned into my mouth. I kissed him again before lightly nipping the side of his neck. He tilted his head to the side, groaning quietly as I nipped him again, licking the pink patches. They would not mark; the bites had not been hard enough to even have hope of marking.

"Yes, my pet?" I inquired, ghosting a kiss along the curve of his jaw. He whined, weaving his fingers into my hair, pulling me closer. He did not turn my head to kiss me, he just pulled me close. I frowned softly, letting my hands roam down his sides before crossing around and up his back. He whined again, breathing heavily into my throat.

"It… It hurts, My Pharaoh…" His voice was weak with pleasure. I smirked, kissing his temple before letting go and pulling away. He whimpered, tightening his fingers into my hair, trying to keep me close to him. I reached up, untangling his fingers and kissing his hands delicately.

"Does it, now?" I suggested. He stared up at me with wide, bright blue eyes, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his neck. I dipped my head, sticking my tongue out and licking the bead away. He tasted salty and like himself. He shivered, pushing into me with his body.

"Tommy," I said into Drake's skin. Tommy shifted behind me, "Relieve Drake of his pain…" I said, glancing over my shoulder to the blond. His eyes were wide, unreadable for a moment before turning to shock. Almost as if he couldn't believe that I'd told him to do such a thing. But the moment had passed and he nodded. I pulled away from Drake's arms, shifting and rearranging pillows so that I could recline and watch my boys in comfort.

"How, My Pharaoh?" Tommy asked, looking back to me. I glanced over at Drake, smirking a little, finding delight in the blush that washed over his face.

"Kiss him, touch him, you may even lick him anywhere you desire. You are not allowed to take him, though. I require the pleasure of that, tonight." I said, nestling into the pillows, one hand tucked behind my head, the other lazily stroking along my hard-on. Tommy nodded once, turning back to Drake, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Drake turned into the kiss, moaning softly as Tommy's fingers pushed his bangs out of his face. Watching them was like watching art in motion. The way their bodies and mouths moved was almost as if they were made to love each other. My heart swelled in my chest and I twisted my wrist, licking my lips and blinking slowly.

Tommy's hands slid down Drake's chest, pushing him down onto his back. Drake inhaled slowly, weaving fingers into Tommy's hair as the older boy left kisses and gentle bites into his lips and neck. I moaned, unable to tear my eyes away from them as Tommy kissed Drake's stomach. His motives were clear— he was going to please Drake the same way he'd been pleasing me just moments ago. I smirked to myself, my eye catching the curve of Drake's back as he arched into Tommy's touch; the blond pressed a kiss to his groin.

"Tommy…" Drake moaned, his fingers tightening into the blond locks. Tommy chuckled softly, breathing along Drake's erection before licking him from base to tip. I smirked, moaning softly as Drake arched deeply, crying out at first before settling down into a soft whine. My eyes slid shut, very briefly, as my thumb circled over the head of my member. Trembles coursed through my body and I opened my eyes again to watch as Tommy's tongue circled around the top before he plunged his head down, swallowing Drake whole.

"Aah! Oh, Rah… Fucking… Rah…" Drake whined and I had to swallow my laughter. He was so perfect. Tommy moaned around Drake's member, his hands gripping the youth's hips. I bit down on my bottom lip, watching Tommy's cheeks cave in as he sucked and watching Drake's back arch, his hands tightening in Tommy's hair.

Tommy bobbed his head for a few moments, the only sounds in the room being that of Drake's whines and groans and my occasional moan. Tommy pulled up, lips wrapped tightly around the head of Drake's member before he came up with a loud pop. Drake whined, breathing hard and I watched closely as Tommy pushed Drake's legs apart. My heart hammered a little harder in my chest, my body trembling from pleasure.

Tommy left a kiss on the inside of Drake's thigh, breathing hard into the brunette's skin before pushing his knees up a little, dipping his head low and kissing the back of Drake's thigh. I frowned, curious as to what he was doing. It didn't take long to understand though. Tommy tilted his head, facing me, his eyes piercing through mine as he licked a strip of flesh along the curve of Drake's thigh, near his entrance. I moaned, shivering as the Egyptian heat washed over me in another brutal wind.

Tommy turned his head, breathing into Drake. The brunette arched, his eyes wide and clouded with pleasure as his jaw dropped and he moaned breathily. Tommy stuck his tongue out, pushing it into what I was sure was wet heat. I moaned, letting my eyes slip shut and imagining Tommy's tongue sliding into me like that… I choked on a gasp, a twinge of ecstasy washing through my veins as I twisted hard on my erection, shaking visibly and panting. I needed…

Tommy's lips were pressed to Drake's skin between his legs, his tongue deep inside the youth. I choked again, needing to dig my nails into soft flesh and… Tommy. I needed Tommy. I could not break Drake with the act of love I needed to perform. I couldn't do that to him just yet. He needed to watch. He needed to understand that he could say no, that he didn't have to. But he needed to see the side of me he had not…

"Tommy, _stop_." I said, my voice harsh with desire. Tommy pulled away, forcing a strangled whine to fall off of Drake's lips. I was sure that my face told him everything he needed to know. Tommy pulled himself away from Drake's body, shifting over to me. My fingers dove into the thickness of his hair, pulling his head back and exposing a highway of throat that I could not resist. I bent my head down, biting deeply into his skin, sucking hard.

Tommy let out a cry that chilled my blood. It was not of pain but pure _pleasure._ I could feel Drake's eyes watching us and, if I wasn't mistaken, he was a little fearful. I moaned, licking the bruise that had already formed into Tommy's skin. I bit into his shoulder, my nails digging into the skin of his hips, pressing so hard I was sure that I was drawing blood.

Drake whimpered, but I was preoccupied with Tommy and his skin and the uncontrollable desire, powered by heat, that was telling me to _mark it_ … Tommy turned his head, somewhat, towards Drake, speaking softly, reassuring him, "Drake… It's alright… He knows— aah— he knows what he's doing…" I groaned, pushing Tommy onto his back. I hadn't been this rough, this primal, in months. Bottling it up had been a very, very bad idea… The heat was almost too much…

"He's not… He's not hurting you?" Drake asked, coming closer. I moaned as his fingers slid into my hair. I licked a strip of Tommy's neck before licking my palm several times, stroking myself. I had no patience for lotion…

"No…" Tommy whispered, reaching up and palming Drake's face as I nudged his legs apart. Technically, he'd just lied. I was about to hurt him, but the pain would soon give way to pleasure, and, besides, Tommy could handle pain better than Drake could. Whereas, for Drake, this would feel like Hell, for Tommy it would be no worse than some of the other scenes we'd perform… Some involving a flogger…

I spit into my hand again, slicking myself once more before pushing into Tommy's entrance. His hands and arms tensed, as did his legs, but he kept the rest of his body relaxed as best as he could, allowing me to shove myself in completely without too much difficulty or pain. Well, there was pain, but there was less than if Tommy has tensed his whole body. The blond tilted his head back, crying once before breathing hard. Drake hovered above us, watching with wide eyes as I pulled back a little, thrusting hard into Tommy again.

"Aah! Uhnn…" Tommy groaned, tilting his head to the side, to face Drake, and opening up a stretch of neck to mark. I tilted my head down, licking a patch of skin before biting into it, marking it, _claiming him_ more than I had already done before. Tommy shifted, wrapping his legs around my waist, changing the angle and letting me plunge deeper into him. I must've hit the pleasure spot inside of him, because he arched up into me, screaming.

Drake moaned, and when I glanced over at him, I saw him gnawing on his bottom lip, curling his fingers around his erection as he had done before. The boy may've been afraid of such roughness, but that did not mean it didn't excite him. I smirked, growling softly as Tommy pulled on my hair. I inhaled sharply through my nose, rocking my hips hard into his thighs, slamming into him. His eyes were squeezed shut, his jaw clenched as he groaned through his teeth.

"Fuck…" Drake moaned. I chuckled, low and dark, from within my chest before moaning, feeling Tommy tighten around my member. Sweat was falling off my of skin and onto Tommy, our essences mingling on his porcelain skin. Tommy's hands disappeared from my hair, his arms curling around my back and his nails digging between my shoulder blades. I howled, thrusting hard into him.

"Pharaoh…" He moaned, dragging his nails down my back. I arched into his touch, rocking my hips as hard as I could into him. My vision was blurry and dizzy. The coil in my spine was tightening and Tommy was moaning so beautifully— or maybe that was Drake. I couldn't tell the difference. I was aware of Tommy tightening around me again, his nails piercing my flesh and drawing blood when fingers curled into my hair, pulling my head up and soft, sweet lips pressed to mine. I moaned, thrusting again before my body convulsed, and I released into Tommy. Not a moment later did warm, stickiness splatter across my stomach and my chest.

Tommy was a panting mess as Drake pulled away from me, his eyes shining in the light with desire. I moaned, pulling out of Tommy as my hands cupped Drake's face, pulling him close to me, kissing him again. Tommy shifted, dragging himself towards the pillows to relax as I kissed Drake passionately. The more animalistic side of me had burned away, but the rough tendencies remained boiling in my blood. I knew I would not be so rough with Drake, but that did not mean I would not bite him or pull on his hair, nor would I refrain from thrusting harder… Rah…

I pulled away from Drake's lips, licking my fingers and letting them drip before I pressed my mouth over his, dropping my hand between his legs. I let a finger tease his entrance before pushing up and in. He tensed as first, pulling me deeper. He was warm, wet with desire. He moaned into my mouth, pushing down against my hand, forcing me deeper still. I worked him, slowly at first, with one before adding a second. My motions were quicker, sharper and harder than before. His fingers clenched my shoulders, digging in as I worked him open, adding a third.

"Please… Please, Pharaoh," he groaned against my mouth. I trembled, hard again from his begging, from the heat of his body. I licked my lips, kissing him again as my fingers spread and stretched him. He whined, crying out gently and pushing down onto my fingers again. His skin was soaked with sweat before he pressed his chest to mine, and then he was covered with Tommy's release as well…

"Please!" Drake whined. I gasped, kissing his neck before removing my fingers. My member was wet and slick enough that I merely grabbed Drake by the hips, turning him around so that he back was pressed up against me, and I lowered him down onto my second, full erection. He cried out at first, reaching behind and taking a handful of my hair into his grasp, pulling.

I brought him down fully upon me, letting him rest and adjust. He was panting, whining and shaking on top of me. I pressed my head between his shoulders, holding onto his hips as I rocked my hips up into him. He moved with me, pressing down when I moved up, just as Tommy has guided him to do on his first night. I moaned, my mind flashing back to that. It was only a month ago, and now here we were…

Drake's head rested against my shoulder, his mouth open in pants and moans as I fucked him, slow and _hard_. This wasn't gentle in the slightest, but it, also, wasn't rushed. I held onto him as tight as I could, pushing up into him, leaving kisses in his hair and on his shoulders, along his wings. The contrast of the ink compared to his skin was startlingly beautiful in the moonlight. The wings sparkled with his sweat, and it looked like they were covered in glitter…

"Oh, Drake…" I moaned, reaching around and caressing his skin with my fingers, kissing his jaw and his cheek. He turned his head, catching my lips with his as he reached back, palming my face with his hand. I moaned, thrusting up into him, my motions growing faster, harder with each swivel of my hips. I squeezed my eyes shut before pulling away to breathe, moaning loudly.

"P-Pharaoh… Please, Pharaoh!" He cried out. He was nearing his end. I knew this by the desperation in his voice. The need to be touched. I shivered, pushing up into him again before grabbing his member at the base. I pressed my lips to his ear, whispering delicately.

"Adam… In this room— call me Adam…" I told him. Drake moaned, falling into my arms, his fingers tightening into my hair again.

"Adam… Adam! _Please…_ " I choked, pumping hard on his erection. He whined, loudly, kissing me hard, again, before— " _ADAM!_ " His body tensed and I saw white flash across my vision. I gasped, jerking up into my body as I released, feeling him coming undone into my hand. He fell back into me, limp and breathing hard. I let go, falling onto my back with Drake on top of me, clenched in my arms like he was the last thing left in life on this Earth…


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: We Can Always (We Can Always) Party On Our Own…  
Tommy's POV**

 _"Tommy… Tommy please!" he cried, his body arched against mine, his head thrown back and his neck covered in marks. Marks that I had left in his skin. I was not being gentle and I was not being kind. I was simply being the kind of lover that Pharaoh was for him. It was as if I, myself, wished to claim him._

 _And you know what? I was succeeding._

 _His fingers were tangled into my hair, pulling roughly on it and that forced a few strangled cries from my throat but he was a hot mess. Practically begging for me to touch him, to please him._

 _To love him and to fuck him._

 _"Tommy please… Please! I cannot take this teasing anymore!" he cried, one of his hands falling from my hair and resting on my shoulder, which he gripped tightly, his nails digging into and, I was sure, piercing the skin. Until this point, I had been exploring his body with my fingers, my tongue following suit. Now I was attempting to kiss him despite his whines as I fingered him._

 _I was amazed that he was able to take all of my fingers. I was practically fisting him, but having sex with Pharaoh did that to someone, I supposed. He was whining into my lips and he was trying so hard to fuck himself on my fingers. I moaned into his lips, pulling my fingers out of the boy and pulling back from the kiss. "Tommy!" Drake cried out. He was so beautiful… I almost could not stand to look at him. "Tommy please, please stop doing this to me… I need it!" He sounded so needy and he was even admitting that need to me, practically begging me to satisfy it._

 _But I was not ready to take him. Not yet… Pharaoh's teachings had made him impatient and I wanted to correct that some. There was more pleasure to be had, more love to be made than just fucking him with my hard on. I shifted down some, so my chest rested between his thighs and I pushed his knees up, much like I had done when Pharaoh asked me to relieve his pain earlier._

 _Where had Pharaoh gone, anyway? Not that I particularly cared at this time…_

 _Drake was whining, trying to move to get some amount of relief but he was failing miserably. "Shh, baby it's alright. Please relax, I am going to take good care of you, I promise," I whispered, my tongue darting out of my mouth and into the caverns that lay beyond his entrance. A sound, caught somewhere between a moan and a scream of pure pleasure, came from the boy and it was, perhaps, the most beautiful noise I had ever heard a human being make. Even more beautiful than when Pharaoh sang…_

 _"T-Tommy…" Drake whispered, pushing back on my tongue. I moaned, pushing it into the boy as far as I could and he nearly lost it. I was sure he was going to come but, to my amazement, he held back his orgasm._

 _I pulled back slightly, just enough so I could speak to him without sounding like my tongue was shoved up his ass. "It's alright baby, come on… Come for me, please," I whispered, begging actually. I wanted to bring my baby to his release, but he only shook his head, refusing me of that. "Why not?" I asked, frowning and I sat up, so I could look down at him._

 _His face was flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure. Even after everything he had learned, he was so shy and adorable about these matters, yet still willing to perform them. "Because I do not want to finish yet, Tommy…" he whispered, reaching up for me. "I want you to take me… Please," he added, sounding desperate for me. I moaned, leaning down to kiss him again._

 _There was something nagging at me as I slid my length into him. It was so completely wrong of me to take what was not mine. Drake belonged to Pharaoh. Pharaoh had even given Drake permission to call him by his actual name! That truly had to be a mark of his ownership. What was worse? I was taking what belonged to Pharaoh in Pharaoh's bed. It was almost like the ultimate rebellion._

 _I wanted this perfect boy for myself. I felt it was unfair of Pharaoh to claim such a wonderful youth for only his own. Drake should be allowed to make love with whoever he wished and, right now, he wanted me more than he feared what Pharaoh would do if he caught us like this._

 _"T-Tommy… Please, don't be easy with me. I want you to- I want you to treat me like Pharaoh treats you…" he whispered. Until he spoke my trusts were soft, gentle and sweet, but that was not what Drake wanted, I realized, so I picked up the pace, moaning loudly as my hips connected with thighs over and over again._

 _"Tommy, come on… get up. Get up!" Drake cried, only driving me to be all the rougher-_

"Tommy, get up!" Drake hissed, shaking me gently. I groaned, being pulled out of what was arguably the best dream of my life. I wanted to punch a child for about twenty seconds, but when my eyes connected with bright blue ones, that temporary anger from being woken up melted away and I smiled. "Finally…" Drake muttered, running his fingers gently through my hair.

"Morning…" I mumbled, sitting up slowly. A soft ache shot up from my backside but I ignored it. This was very normal after Pharaoh decided to be rough with me. "What time is it?"

Drake shrugged, looking boyish and adorable despite the smeared make up, messy hair and scent of sex that lingered on him. He was probably the only person in the world who could make all of those things seem innocent. "I have no idea. I just woke up a few minutes ago… But you were moaning and grunting a lot in your sleep," he said and I felt my face heating up. Oh Rah… "You were saying my name a lot…" Fuck.

"Oh, I… um…" I really could not even come up with a decent accuse. The look I saw in Drake's eyes told me that he had already figured it out. "I was just…"

"Dreaming about me?" he offered but it sounded more like he was just completely my sentence. My face grew a few degrees hotter and I looked away. "Look, I am not upset or anything. It would be a lie if I said I did not think about the same things but Adam- I mean Pharaoh is in the bath and I did not think it best to let you continue in that dream. I didn't want him to overhear you…" His voice had grown quiet in the last few phrases.

Adam? _Adam?_ Why would Drake ever get the idea to call Pharaoh by his name? That was stepping so far over the line that it was not even worth a joke because it was that serious. So why would Drake ever…? Because Pharaoh had given him permission. I did not remember that detail at first, due to the fact that when Drake and Pharaoh were, to be blunt about it, having sex, I was so far gone I was almost not even paying attention to what they were doing.

I could not believe Pharaoh would allow Drake to call him Adam. I had been with Pharaoh for years and never once did he allow me to call him Adam. Why would he allow the privilege, an honor really, to Drake and not me? I did not wish to sound so selfish, but it did not seem fair and honestly, it hurt me a lot. Just because Drake _looked_ like Alexander did not mean that Drake _was_ Alexander.

From what I had heard about Pharaoh's lover, he was similar to Drake in appearance as well as shy demeanor and intelligence, however, Alexander and Drake were very different people and I could not help but feel that Pharaoh confused the two boys a lot. Giving Drake permission to call him Adam while in the bedroom may not have seemed like a huge deal, but it was. The only people who ever called Pharaoh by his name where older members of his family. Never was a servant allowed to call him such.

I was jealous, yes, but I was also a bit angry with Pharaoh. How dare he treat us unequally? How dare he treat Drake like he was someone else? Drake was _not_ Alexander and he never would be Alexander. I could not, for certain, prove that Pharaoh saw him as such, but I was almost sure that he was truly replacing the first love of his life with Drake. Maybe Drake did look the part and even act the part sometimes, but Drake was Drake. He would always be Drake and he would _never_ be Alexander. If Pharaoh was allowing him special privileges simply because he thought this boy was his Alexander replacement, he was sadly mistaken…

Drake did not seem to notice my inner turmoil and for that I was grateful. He had this thing about him, where he could practically read people's feelings. It was a little bit creepy how accurate he could be sometimes, but he did not pick up on anything this time. In fact, he looked a little ashamed that he had woken me up in the first place. "Thank you, Drake," I whispered, pressing my lips to his cheek. "Thank you for waking me up. You saved us both from an extremely awkward conversation with Pharaoh that may have not ended so well," I added, running my fingers through his hair to smooth it out a little.

"I figured. After yesterday's bath, I did not want him to start asking questions because, I think we both know that, if he were to ask, we could not lie," he said, just as quietly. I nodded my agreement. He was right. If Pharaoh had asked us to be honest, we would not have been able to lie to him.

"Thank you, Drake," I repeated, wrapping my arms around his slim waist and pulling him tightly against me. He whined softly, probably a little sore from our previous night's events. He hadn't been sexually active in two weeks, so I was sure the stretching was a bit more painful that usual. Nothing at all like his first few nights that. Of that, I was absolutely sure.

He cuddled with me anyway, putting his arms loosely around me and we enjoyed each other's warmth, even if we were covered in sex from last night. We did not really mind much. After all, we were one in the same. At least, we were supposed to be. We shared everything. This was no different.

"Boys?" Pharaoh's voice pulled me out of my relaxed state. Drake's head rested against my shoulder but we both looked up at him. He smiled at us, walking over to the side of the bed to run his fingers through my hair as well as Drake's. "My beautiful boys…" he whispered, as if caught off guard by how beautiful we were. In reality, I did not really want Pharaoh touching me. I was very unhappy with him for the whole letting Drake call him by name thing. Yes, I was jealous, but I was more worried about Pharaoh's motives behind it. Was it really because he cared that much for Drake? Or was it because Drake was slowly morphing into Alexander in Pharaoh's eyes?

"My Pharaoh?" we muttered lazily together. He just chuckled, leaning down and pressing kisses to both of our foreheads.

"I have to go meet with my advisers. We still have many matters to discuss, but you two can relax all you want in here," he said. It was not until he said that he was leaving to be with Brad and Cassidy that I noticed he was wearing white trousers, a white vest with gold accents and a crimson under shirt. His make up was done to perfection and his hair was styled beautifully. He looked more like a God himself than the Pharaoh of Egypt. Drake must have been thinking the same thing because his eyes were slightly wide.

When Pharaoh mentioned his advisers, I also took note that Drake tensed slightly. I frowned, rubbing his arms gently with my hands. "Thank you, My Pharaoh," I whispered, offering him a soft smile that was, mostly, forced.

He smiled, not seeming to notice that I was feeling just a little more than hostile this morning. Well, at least towards him. "Get some rest. Rah knows you both need it after last night," he said, chuckling softly to himself. I could not help but roll my eyes…. Honestly, Pharaoh was just so perverted, it was not even funny. "I will be back later," he said over his shoulder as he pulled open the doors to his chambers. He left the room, leaving Drake and I alone to cuddle.

But I needed to do more than cuddle. I needed to talk to him. "Drake?" I asked after a moment of silence. I feared that he had fallen asleep in the short amount of silence, but he lifted his head after a moment, his blue eyes meeting mine.

"Yeah?" he asked, sounding tired.

"Drake, why do you get so tense whenever we are around Pharaoh's advisers? Or when they are mentioned in conversation?" I asked, worry filling my tone. Drake's eyes widened slightly and he looked away, as if afraid to look at me. Did he believe that I would get my answer from his eyes? Or, did he feel that, if he looked me in the eyes, he would not be able to deny me an answer? That I would know if he lied to me?

"I don't know what you mean…" he whispered, sounding more alert and awake than he did five second ago. That was all the proof I really needed.

"Drake, you were a nervous wreck all through dinner last night. I watched you, when Brad asked you for a kiss. You did not want to do it. You were forcing yourself to kiss him because you wanted to follow Pharaoh's orders, but you did not want to kiss him," I said and he shook his head slightly, trying to keep his eyes away from mine. I put both of my hands on his cheeks, turning his head to look at me. "Drake, I felt you tensing up when Pharaoh only mentioned his advisers. Please baby, what's going on? Please talk to me, Drake." If I had to, I would beg him and even pull out the cutest fucking pout he's ever seen in his life.

He sighed, unable to deny me when looking straight into my eyes. "I do not like being around Brad… He makes me uncomfortable," he whispered, letting his eyes slip shut once he had gotten the truth out.

"Why, honey? Has he done something to you?" I asked, confused. I was, by no means, close to Cassidy or Brad, but from what I had seen, they were both extremely nice and warm people. A lot like Pharaoh. They were warm and easy to be around. I could not really understand why Drake would feel so uncomfortable around Brad. He was harmless.

"No… No he hasn't done anything to me, I just…" He sighed, sounding frustrated with himself, or perhaps he was frustrated with me. I could not be sure. "I don't know… But every time I am with him or around him, my chest gets tight, like I can't breathe and then my stomach starts doing flips and I feel a little nauseous. He just… I don't know…" he said, sounding kind of upset with himself.

I sighed, gently drawing circles into Drake's skin. "Baby, Brad's fine. I'm not entirely sure why you would be so afraid of him, but I know he's not a bad guy," I whispered, trying to reassure him that Brad would not hurt him.

"I can't really explain it but the first night I was here, at dinner, he kept looking over at me like I was on display. It was like I was some sort of trophy that people were competing for so they would have the chance to sleep with me. There was something that lingered in his eyes that just… scared me and every time he looks at me, it's still there," he whispered, sounding very much like a young child.

"Drake, maybe this is not exactly what you want to hear, but Brad was not the only one looking at you like that…" I said, frowning a little. It was rather disgusting how so many people would be so willing to openly gawk at beauty like that. Drake was not a wild animal to be tamed and/or eaten. "Many people looked at you either with envy of you because of how beautiful and flawless you looked that night, or envy of Pharaoh for claiming you. Everyone was looking at you with that desire, not just Brad…"

Drake sat up at that, seeming a little uncomfortable. I knew that the idea of everybody wanting to do what Pharaoh and I did to him was probably extremely uncomfortable, but it was literally the truth. Drake was the perfect boy. Everyone who saw Drake could plainly see that.

"But no one else made me feel so uncomfortable! Brad just stared at me the entire time. When he touched me, I did not like it. That kiss felt like acid and I really just do not feel comfortable with him. I do not like being around him!" Drake exclaimed, wrapping his arms around himself as if he was attempting to comfort himself.

I quickly sat up, ignoring the slight pain that shot up from my back side and I pulled Drake into my arms, holding him against me. "Alright, honey, alright… This obviously upsets you and I can easily see that. We can talk to Pharaoh about it later…"

"No… No, I do not want to tell him," Drake said, almost as a reflex.

"Why not? If you are uncomfortable, he will want to know," I said, frowning slightly but Drake just continued to shake his head.

"I do not want to tell Pharaoh that I distrust one of his most trusted advisers. That would be like… like an insult to Pharaoh and his decision making. I cannot tell him that I don't like Brad… I just, I can't," Drake said, sounding like he did not entirely agree with what he was saying but, at the same time, sounded definite on his decision.

"But Drake, I really think that-" He cut me off before I could even begin to speak.

"No, Tommy… Please. I really do not wish to tell Pharaoh. Telling you was bad enough," he whispered and I frowned. "It sounded stupid enough to you. I could not even begin to imagine how stupid Pharaoh would think it is…"

"Drake, I do not think it's stupid and neither will Pharaoh. I really think you should tell him…" Drake just shook his head again. "The least he can do for you is to let you not be around him again, or keep you away from him when we are all together."

"Tommy please understand, I cannot tell him…" Drake muttered, looking away from me. "Not even you believe there is anything wrong. He will be no better…"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: So make the best of this test and don't ask why**

 **Drake's POV**

I sat, alone, in the bath tub, soaking in hot water with the soap in my hands. Pharaoh was still busy with his advisers and the affairs they were to discuss, and Tommy… Well… I didn't know where Tommy was. He was probably walking around or making himself useful, elsewhere. I'd left him in Pharaoh's chamber not long after begging him not to say anything about my confession regarding Brad.

I had hoped that Tommy would've been a little more comforting on the whole thing, but I shouldn't have been so eager. He's known Brad for a while, and he's only seen what Pharaoh's seen. They've only seen the good person in Brad, the sugary smiles and warm personality. This was not what I saw. I saw a hawk, tentatively waiting on the edges of the highest branch in the tallest, darkest tree, simply waiting. Waiting for when no one else is looking…

I shivered, lowering my hands into the water, soaking the soap before bringing it back up, running it along my arms and my chest. I wanted to bathe before taking my usually stroll through the palace. No sense in looking (and smell, yuck) like sex. I rubbed the soap into my skin in all the places I could reach, briefly regretting not bringing Tommy with me to help me with my back. I decided, though, that it wasn't worth the trouble, and I just leaned back, dipping my back into the soapy water. It would have to do.

I reached for the shampoo, pouring some out into my palm before dipping my hair into the water, soaking it. I sat back up, lathering my locks with the shampoo, working out the knots and scrubbing deep into my scalp. I still did not favor how long my hair had gotten, but I'd never made it a note to ask Pharaoh if I could cut it. If he decided that a trim was in order, then it would be done. Until then, I left it alone.

I sighed, rinsing off my hands before dipping my head into the water, rinsing out the shampoo before coming back up to the surface, my eyes squeezed shut to keep out the soap. I ran my fingers through my hair, draining out the excess water before opening my eyes, reaching for the plug and lifting it. The water began to drain as I stood up, snatching a towel and quickly drying myself off.

I stepped out onto the small bath mat, drying off my legs before tossing the towel aside. I grabbed my white trousers off of the counter, stepping into them and letting them hang at my hips, tying the drawstring to keep them secure. These were one of the finer pairs that Tommy lent to me. They were a pristine white with gold stitching along the seams and small, delicate hieroglyphics embroidered around the cuffs that clung just passed my knees. They were not full length, like some of Pharaoh's. They stopped and curled around the knees or calves. It was most comfortable this way.

I snatched up a shear white tunic, pulling it on over my head and letting it hang. Gold embroidery was stitched around the sleeves, hem and neck. It was thin enough that one could see my skin beneath it, but it was attractive; modest, to say the least. Not to mention, it let in the most pleasant of breezes. I smiled, grabbing the golden cuffs that Pharaoh had left for me while I was bedridden from the inking. During those two weeks, I'd been given a lot of my own clothes, jewels and makeup, but I still borrowed some of Tommy's from time to time. He never minded.

I clasped the cuffs around my wrists before brushing out my hair. The heat was so intense my hair was already, almost, half dry. I sighed softly, shaking it out a little before pulling it back into the lopsided ponytail, letting my bangs hang in front of my face. I reached up, staring at my reflection in the mirror as I pulled them back, tucking them behind my ear.

I reached for the eyeliner, applying it in thin swipes around my eyes, smudging it a little as I had seen Pharaoh do, before. I smiled, deciding to keep my appearance clean and simple for today. It was all just about a stroll, anyway. To see places that I had not before. Though there was not much left to be discovered. In the first week, when I was not occupying Pharaoh's time with my services or recovering from _something_ , I walked. I knew most of the palace by heart and memory. As if I'd been here my whole life.

I flipped the switch of the light for the bathroom, walking back to my room to retrieve my sandals. I pushed open the door, seeing that nothing had changed since yesterday. I sighed, crossing and grabbing my brown sandals— my golden ones were still in Pharaoh's chamber. I made a note to myself to go back at some point to retrieve them, as I would rather they not get lost or, Rah forbid, stolen.

I shuddered, thinking back to the story that Tommy had told me, about the launder boys stealing from Adam— _Pharaoh_. I sighed, biting down on my bottom lip. I could not believe that I slipped up in front of Tommy, saying Pharaoh's name. It had been fleeting, but I saw the look of shock in Tommy's eye when I'd said it. There had been something else, but it was too quickly gone for me to understand it at all. But it had left chills in my arms.

I shook my head, strapping my sandals on before turning and leaving my room, closing the door behind me as I began my walk. The nice thing about my strolls was that it allowed me to clear my head and think about things I normally would not. Like my family. My mother. How was she doing? Had Pharaoh sent her the money? Had he told her I was okay? Well, better than okay, but I doubted that she would exactly approve of my services…

Rah, I missed my mother. A part of me always wanted to ask Pharaoh if I could go see her, but I doubted that I would. My place was here, within the palace walls and, more importantly, in Pharaoh's bed. Despite the fact that my family was still out there, trying to survive, I knew that I would probably be unable to ever see them again. What did that mean for my brothers and sisters, then? Would I never see them grow up? Would I never see them fall in love for the first time?

A twinge of sadness plucked at the strings of my heart and I wanted to start crying. I missed them dearly. A month I'd been away, but it felt like so much longer than that. It felt like I'd been away for many months, perhaps years. I would often have dreams where I would leave, even for a day, and go back home. I would open the front door, see my brothers working in the back yard through the kitchen window, my two older little sisters helping my mother with the laundry and cooking. And then my youngest sister looking up from her dolls, smiling at me and running forward, calling me "Daddy".

I sighed softly, turning down a corner that I was unfamiliar with. It was in the northern section of the palace. A place I had not had much opportunity to explore. I pushed the thoughts of my family away. I did not have much desire to start crying in the middle of the palace. As it was, I still had yet to get familiar with the other servants. I did not seem them, much, due to how often I was with Tommy, Pharaoh, or by myself. I guess, one could say, that I, sometimes, felt lonely without Tommy or Pharaoh, as they were the only ones I truly knew.

I licked my lips, swinging my arms delicately at my sides as I walked farther down, before stopping at a large set of wooden doors with hieroglyphics etched into the frame and panels. Pictures of knowledge and wisdom— a library? I stepped towards the door, pulling open the right-side door and glancing inside. Sure enough, it was a library. I gasped, stepping in and pulling the door shut behind me.

Towers upon towers of shelves, filled with books and documents as well as artifacts of great importance. The stone was polished, a beautiful white marble that glittered under the Egyptian sun, which was pouring from the large bay windows that stood across the wide expanse of the room. Less grand than Pharaoh's chamber, but much larger, for sure. There was even a second-story loft that seemed to be filled with art pieces and paintings. My heart stuttered in my chest, and I knew that I would have to take a look.

I walked forward, my eye catching titles that were familiar and unfamiliar. The library, itself, was rather quiet as I walked. My sandals made soft _pat-pat_ 's on the marble, my white clothes shining just as bright from the sun. I turned a corner, staring down aisles upon aisles of books and stories. My eyes were wide as I walked, getting lost in the maze. How could I've been here all this time and never stumbled upon something so beautiful and magnificent.

I walked down a long, wide aisle, turning to my left and seeing what appeared to be the center of the library. There was nothing but a large sculpture resting on a Persian stitched rug— a large, white marble stone ring that stood twice my height. It was perfect in its orb, its shadow casted on the floor. The ring, itself, reminded me that of the moon; a new moon. In the center of the ring, with its feathers spread and neck elongated, was a beautifully painted peacock. Its feathers were shimmering with blues and greens, hues of purple and sparkling.

I walked up close to it, my eye trailing along the length of the neck and across the wide expanse of its feathers. I wanted to reach up and touch, to feel if it was stone, too, or soft and silky. But I didn't. I remained dormant in my spot, staring with wide eyed marvel at the bird and the moon before me. For a moment, I forgot to breathe, but when I remembered, it was like a cool splash of water in my face.

It was beautiful. Utterly beautiful. I'd never seen something crafted to such perfection and painted so vividly. I walked around along the side, towards the back, reaching out and tracing my fingers on the curve of the ring. Despite the direct sun exposure, the marble was ice cold to the touch. I shivered, dropping my hand as I circled around the sculpture, coming back to the front to stare up at the head of the peacock. Unlike most birds I've seen, which have black, beady eyes, this one was different. It's eyes were a bright, brilliant blue…

Blue. Like mine.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" I heard a voice and I instantly felt unpleasant chills. I froze, staring up at the eyes and wanting so badly to disappear. I did not want to see him. I did not want to speak to him and no matter how hard Tommy tried to convince me that he was a good person, I did not believe Brad was what everyone though he was… But I turned away, staring at him for a moment before forcing myself to blush sheepishly, as if embarrassed to have been caught before looking back to the bird.

"Yes, it is." I replied, hearing Brad take a step closer before coming to my side, looking up at the peacock, perched in the curve of the moon. At least he wasn't looking at me. But for however long it would last, I did not know.

I wanted, though, to know who the sculpture was for. Surely something this grand could not have been made simply for the pleasure of being made. It had to have been dedicated to someone… Or in honor or someone. But who, I didn't know. I sighed, tearing my eyes away from the bird as I felt eyes. And sure enough, Brad was staring at me. I forced another blush, looking away in respect, and Brad chuckled.

"You're so cute…" He said, but his tone wasn't teasing or gentle. It was seductive. I shivered lightly, smiling shyly. "Take a walk with me," Brad said. It wasn't a suggestion, but nor was it, truly, a demand. I swallowed the lump that was sitting in the back of my throat before nodding once and flashing the best, fake smile that I could muster, falling in step beside him as we walked in the direction of the exit to the library.

"Tell me about your family, Drake. Pharaoh says you are a farm boy…" Brad inquired. Something told me to lie, but I didn't want him to ask questions to Pharaoh and be called out of it. I inhaled slowly, looking straight ahead.

"I have my mother and five younger siblings, two brothers and three sisters." I told him, keeping it as simple and blunt as possibly. Brad nodded once, staring ahead, too. Thank Rah.

"And… You love your family, yes?" He suggested. I frowned, risking the glance over at him, my eyes giving off the gleam of "yes, duh".

"Absolutely, sir. My family was all that I had… Before I was brought here to serve the Pharaoh." I told him, going back to looking straight ahead. Brad chuckled, low and dark for a moment before falling silent. I pushed open the library door, letting him exit first before following him, closing the door behind us.

"How has Pharaoh treated you, Drake?" The way he said my name sent chills down my spine, and not in a pleasant manner. They were chills of discomfort and distrust. I did not want to be around this man, but I knew I could not deny him the pleasure of a conversation and a "friendly" walk. I did not want him to go to Pharaoh, complaining about me and potentially getting me disposed of from the palace. I was not like most other boys my age. I would not survive working on pyramids.

"He has treated me with nothing but kindness and compassion, sir. He has been very good to me since I was brought here." I told him honestly, still refusing to look up at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brad smiling, though it was not warm. It was as if he had some kind of scheme up his sleeve… A new trick to show off to the masses.

"Good, good. And the other servant, Tommy? How has he treated you?" I shivered, swallowing another lump from my throat. It was becoming harder and harder to speak as my nerves began to overtake my body.

"Just the same, sir." I told him. Brad stopped, placing an arm on my shoulder. Much the same as last night, I could have sworn my arm was decaying at his touch. It was cold, clammy and unwanted. But I fought the grimace and the desire to pull out of his grip. Instead, I turned, looking up at him as his fingers took hold of my chin, lifting my head so that I stared up at him. He wasn't much taller than be, but he still had some height on me, as well as a considerable amount more of muscle than me. By no means was he built like Pharaoh, but he look stronger than Tommy, even.

"You are quite precious… Tell me, how do you fare against our Pharaoh in his bed?" My eyes widened and I did not fight the step back that I took, out of his grip. Brad's eyes flickered with a fire that made my soul grow cold.

"I beg pardon, sir?" I retorted, taking another step back as Brad took one forward. He smirked at me, appearing taller, crueler and far more sinister.

"Does he treat you with care? Or does he drive you mad with pleasure?" Brad's fingers hooked around my shoulders and he pressed me to the wall of the hallway. My heart was hammering in my chest as my eyes flicked back and forth between his. I couldn't speak, I couldn't breathe as he bent his head, forcing his cold lips over mine. He moaned into my mouth, shoving his tongue between my teeth, but I did not kiss him back. I was frozen, much like I had been when Pharaoh and Tommy first kissed me… I was a stone.

"Bradley?" Brad's lips vanished from mine, but I kept my eyes shut for a moment, fearing that the voice was my imagination. But Brad did not kiss me again, and I heard a shuffle of footsteps before daring to open my eyes again. I turned, seeing Cassidy coming down the hall, eyeing myself and Brad warily before locking gazes with the other adviser. "Our Pharaoh was wondering where you'd run off to. Paying your dues to one of his boys again?" Cassidy joked, but when he looked at me, his eyes were filled with concern.

"He really needs to learn to share, Cassidy. He's got quite the pair of boys this time… I mean, the first one he had was a beauty, too…" Brad said, staring me up and down. My heart slammed into my chest repeatedly. The first? Neither Pharaoh nor Tommy had ever mentioned a previous pleasure servant. The idea did not surprise me in the least, but…

"In fact," Brad continued, turning towards me before glancing back to Cassidy, "Isn't there a striking resemblance between Pharaoh's first boy and—" Cassidy turned on Brad, tugging on his shirt and silencing him immediately.

"That is enough chatter today, Bradley. I'm sure Drake has other places to be than here with us. Besides, Pharaoh wants us back in his hall after lunch. We still have much to discuss." Cassidy sneered, pulling Brad along. My heart would not stop pounding in my chest. And, once I'd watched them turn the corner, I turned on my heel, sprinting down the hall to get away from the spot. All the while, my mind was racing.

Who was this previous boy? And to whom was the resemblance so striking?


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: How Do You Get That Lonely, How Do You Hurt So Bad?  
Adam's POV**

"Well, if the peasants cannot find jobs, they should go to the pyramids on their own to work. They should not sit around waiting for guards to come take them because they have not paid their bills," Brad said, sneering a little. He was always the more cynical one, while Cassidy was far too compassionate. I was caught somewhere in the middle, but I did not wish to discuss these matters anymore. My head was beginning to ache and I just did not want to talk about people suffering because of money. I was trying so hard to make life easier for my people but nothing seemed to work.

"Bradley, you cannot just ship everyone who can't find a job off to do dangerous jobs. Not everyone is capable of doing such intense labor," Cassidy countered. Honestly, they had just been bickering with each other for the past hour. I had kind of tuned out, no longer wishing to speak of politics or misery.

"Cass, come off it. If the people can't find work, they need to go somewhere that does have work and they need to-" I finally intervened.

"Boys, we are not getting anywhere with arguing. Let us call it a day, hm? We can discuss this more later but it is late and we are all restless. Go, enjoy the palace and relax. We will talk more tomorrow," I said, standing from the table and leaving utterly no room for argument.

The both stared up at me, looking as if they wanted to protest but neither of them dared to. "As you wish, My Pharaoh," Cassidy muttered, standing and walking over to Brad. "Good night. We shall talk, come morrow," he added, Brad standing to join him. I smiled softly at my advisers and I turned, leaving the small discussion area. We never spoke in public because we did not want others to overhear. Some of our business was very important information that did not need to get out to the masses.

Sometimes I wished I was not the Pharaoh of Egypt. It was almost too stressful to handle sometimes.

It was times like this that I felt most lonely and, as I walked, I realized that my feet were not carrying me towards my chambers, but in the opposite direction. To his favorite room…

My sandals slapped the stone as I passed corridor after corridor. I had not been to the library in ages. I had been very busy and, every time I entered the library, I was filled with great sadness. Every book and scroll made me think of him. That was why I had sculpted a statue in the center for him. Every single day, Alexander was in the library. It was his favorite room, even more than my bedroom, which I always found a tad bit insulting but adorable as well.

I turned the last corner to the library, stopping briefly in front of it. The doors looked large and intimidating, making me feel smaller than anyone else. My hand slid over the wood of the door, the hieroglyphs carved to perfection. Alexander always drew them. He even had them inked into his skin. When I said everything about this room reminded me of him, I was not exaggerating…

Slowly, I pushed the door open with my fingers and I found myself holding my breath. Why, I was not entirely sure. It was almost as if I expected to see Alexander standing on the other side of the double doors, smiling his beautiful, pearl smile at me. As if he was waiting for me on the other side of the door with open arms.

But when I opened the doors, there was no Alexander standing on the other side of the door. No beautiful brunette standing with his arms open for me to nestle into. Tears stung my eyes but I refused to let them fall. "Hey baby…" I whispered, closing the door shut behind me and locking it from the inside. The library was open to everyone who lived in the palace, but I did not want anyone to come in during such a private and intimate moment.

I left my back pressed into the wood of the door for several minutes, willing myself to calm down before I walked into the center of the library. There was the sculpture, standing tall and magnificent. A ring that resembled a moon with a grand peacock in the center. Not many people, if any at all, understood why I had this made but I did not care if anyone knew. It was only for me, really. For me and for Alexander, so his memory would never fade. I did not believe that, even if I did not have this sculpture made, his memory would ever fade from my mind.

My hands ran across the ring, my skin cooling to my touch. I sat down on the base of the sculpture, stroking the peacock as if it were actually my love. "Alexander, my love, you can never truly understand how much I miss you… I know I have not come to see you in a long time. It has been extremely painful since you've passed on," I whispered, talking as if Alexander was sitting in the room with me. I knew that, even though he was no longer part of the living, he would be able to hear me in the afterlife.

Silence filled the air for a long time. I could only sit and remember all the times I had spent with Alexander, not just sexually but intimate on every level. "I wish you were still with me, though I hope you are enjoying the afterlife. Rah knows that you deserved such peace. I do hope that where you are is not as stressful as here…" A soft whimper fell off my lips and I truly could not believe that Alexander had died over six years ago.

"The Gods must have a cruel sense of humor. I need your help so badly right now. Egypt is falling apart and I do not know what to do. I am trying everything I can think of to make things better for my people but I just cannot seem to make anything work. I wish you were here in my lap so you could tell me what to do… You had always been the best problem solver I knew. I still have found no one better, but perhaps I am bias," I whispered, chuckling sadly.

Another silence fell around us. I think I was waiting for some sort of response, even though I knew I would never get one. Alexander was beyond the point of communicating, and I knew that but there was nothing wrong with wishful thinking, was there? It was one of man's greatest comforts.

"Have you fallen in love again, Alexander? Is it possible to fall in love in the afterlife?" I asked, looking up into the peacocks brilliant blue eyes. "Is it even possible to fall in love a second time? Even if you so dearly love your first?" I questioned, wanting an answer. Yes, I had Tommy for several years now but there was never that kind of love between us. We were sexually intimate and we were best friends. We talked, we held each other for comfort and we loved each other, but we were not in love with one another. We both knew that.

Drake… Drake was something a little different, but I could not be sure that it was love. Even if I was sure it was love, would it be love because of all the qualities that made him the perfect boy or would it be love because of all the qualities that made him just like a second Alexander? I wanted to believe that I loved Drake for Drake, if I loved him at all, but I could not be sure. How would I ever know for sure? Could I ever know?

"I pray that the Gods have been good to you in your afterlife. I pray that you have found someone who makes you happy," I said after a moment of gathering my own thoughts. "I have searched all the sands of Egypt for a boy to give me the same comfort you did, but I have no found him yet…" Maybe I had found him, I just was not sure I found him yet? "Nobody will ever be able to replace you in my heart, my darling, but I am not sure I can even fall in love again. I know you would want me to though. I know that you would want me to be happy again, you even told me that while you were on your death bed…"

Tears rolled freely at that comment. I could not bare to think of my Alexander bedridden from his fever. I was not even able to comfort him or hold him because he did not want me to fall victim to the same illness. Rah how I wanted to hold him one last time before he passed on. How much I wanted to make slow, sweet love to him so that maybe he would be able to die in a state of happiness…

"I have found two boys that I am very fond of though…" I muttered, wiping my tears away with the heal of my palm. "Tommy is quite the beauty and he is so very loving but we have never made the kind of connection that you and I made. We are not, by any means in love, but we are very close and he makes me as happy as a friend can…" New tears were forming. I had not spoken to anyone like this in a long time and it was almost too much to handle now that I was. Just because Alexander was no longer part of the living world did not make him any less of a person.

I paused for a moment, as if letting the news of Tommy sink in before continuing. "And then there is Drake… and he truly is a perfect boy. There is something completely different with him. He is not like Tommy at all, but I cannot be sure if this is love or just an imitation," I began. I imagined Alexander nudging me on the shoulder, encouraging me to continue with a bright smile on his face. "I have this draw to him, but I cannot be sure that it is because I love him or because he reminds me so much of you…" I admitted, feeling almost ashamed to tell Alexander something like this. I felt bad that I could, potentially be falling in love with someone other than him and, at the same time, I felt bad for putting Drake in the center of my uncertain affections.

"He's young, but he is so brilliant, just like you were. He's quick to learn everything presented to him and he even teaches himself things that nobody tried to teach him. What startled me the most about him, though, was his face. My guards had brought him into the palace because his family was poor and he was to be sent to work on the pyramids but when I saw his face, I thought he was you," I said, tears falling from the corners of my eyes. "He could be your twin, I swear to Rah. Even his hair is exactly the same as yours. His eyes shine that bright blue that yours always did and sometimes, I find it hard to just see him because I see you in him…"

Now I was shaking. I hated that I compared Drake to Alexander so often. Drake was not Alexander at all, Drake was his own person who just happened to look like and have a similar personality to my dead lover. Yet, I could not help but make the comparison sometimes. Drake truly was his own person and he was absolutely perfect, but did I only believe he was perfect because he was so much like Alexander? And yet…. He was almost nothing like Alexander at the same time.

Rah, I was confusing myself a lot and my head was beginning to pound.

"There is something in his eyes, every time he looks at me that reminds me of the way you looked at me, Alexander. After the first couple of weeks of beings together, that is. He has devoted himself completely to me and he is barely considered a man. He is so young, yet so willing to give me whatever I desire," I whispered, biting my quivering lip for a moment. "Just like you were… That was because you were in love with me, right? Does that mean Drake is in love with me too?" I asked him, wishing dearly that he could actually give me an answer.

"I am so conflicted, Alexander… I want to be with you and love only you but I cannot do that. We are in two separate worlds now, but I feel as if I should not be with someone else the way I was with you, yet… I yearn for it," I confessed, staring the peacock right into it's blue eyes, like I was actually starting at my lover… "Part of me wants so badly to just allow this feeling for Drake, but two conflicts arise. One simply being that I still love you…"

I paused, blinking away new tears. Love was not supposed to be such a sad emotion! But in this case, it was dreadfully painful…. "The second is a little more complex. How can I ever be sure that I am truly in love with Drake, if he reminds me so much of you? How can I ever be sure that I see Drake for who he is and not who he resembles? How can I ever expect it to be fair of me to use him like that if I really do not love him for him, but for you?" Alexander, please? I know you cannot speak to me, but can you not give me some sort of sign that you understand? Maybe some sort of guidance? Please, my love?

I leaned against the ring of the sculpture, tears dripping down onto it. I let my eyes slip shut, trying to control these emotions that were suddenly bursting forward, but I could not. Controlling a beast once you have let it out of it's cage was something that almost no one could do. I did not know the secret to performing such an act.

 _Gentle arms wrapped around me and, by Rah, I swore someone pressed a kiss into my hair line. "Adam, I know you would never fall in love with someone just because they look similar to me. I believe that, if you feel this towards the boy, that it is real and not an imitation." Alexander's voice was soft on my skin, like a soft feather running over my forehead where his lips were pressed._

Of course that did not actually happen and, at first, when I opened my eyes, I was disappointed that Alexander was not there holding me. However, I did not fully believe that the short scene was simply part of my imagination either. Never before when talking to Alexander after his passing, did I experience something like that.

 _It is real and not an imitation._ Was that his way of letting me know that he was happy for me? And that, perhaps, he was eager for me to be happy again?


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: How would you be, many years after the disasters**

 **Tommy's POV**

My fingers plucked the strings of my guitar, playing soft melodies as I sat on my bed. I hadn't seen Drake at all, today, but I tried not to let the notion bother me. I knew he wanted some time to himself after our discussion about Brad. I frowned, plucking hard and drawing out a loud B flat before sighing softly.

I couldn't understand Drake's discomfort when it came to Brad. Sure, Brad was the more touchy-feely one of Pharaoh's advisers, but he meant well and knew when he stepped boundaries. I think, though, that was because Cassidy kept him in line at all times. Brad, from what I knew, had a tendency of rebellion, but with Cassidy's watchful eye, he remained in good manner. He treated me with the utmost respect and kindness.

I strummed gently, leaning back against the wall of my room. I was sitting on my bed, my legs crossed to support the frame of my guitar. I'd been playing for a few hours at most now, and the sun was beginning to sink behind the western horizon, but by no means did that mean the heat was slipping with the orb. Oh, no. If anything, the heat was rising as the sun fell into darkness, as it did every day of the year.

I sighed, reaching up and wiping the sweat off of my brow before going back to playing. Pharaoh had been busy with his advisers all day, too. In truth, this whole time had been rather lonely. I'd spent so much of my time with Pharaoh or Drake— or both— that it was hard for me to, really, imagine a day without either of them in it. True, I saw Drake this morning, but that was short lived.

And while I missed Pharaoh's company, I was still angry with him. Why did he give Drake the honor to call him by name in Pharaoh's bed? Why would the new boy, barely here more than a month, have an honor that even I had not been granted, when I've been here for several years? I sighed angrily, strumming hard again and pulling the strap off from my shoulder, setting my guitar down on the stone floor next to my bed. I set the pick aside, running fingers through my hair, rubbing the back of my neck.

I still wanted to know Pharaoh's motives behind choosing Drake. He told me that the resemblance to Alexander made him stand out, but that, alone, was not why he chose the boy. In all honesty, I thought Pharaoh was full of it. He'd been grieving Alexander since the day that boy died. Though it did not always show, I, sometimes, caught his eyes appearing distant, sad. I did not believe that he chose Drake simply for whatever reasons he did. Maybe they played a key factor, but I was certain that there was something deeper…

I slid off of my bed, straightening my shirt and fixing the waistband of my trousers before stepping into my sandals, strapping them on and leaving my room. I needed a walk— I needed to clear my head of all of the negative thoughts about My Pharaoh. I cared deeply for the man, but he was still so desperately in love with someone who has been dead for more than six years. Wasn't it time to let go?

I shook my head, placing one hand on my hip and the other on the back of my neck as I walked. I wasn't angry with Pharaoh because he was still in love with someone who had passed, I was angry that he was confusing someone who was dead to someone who was alive and, clearly, beginning to fall for him. I could see it in Drake's eyes how much it made him happy to please Pharaoh, how much he cared for the King of Egypt. It was pure and angelic. And Pharaoh…

Pharaoh was going to crush Drake with the knowledge of Alexander. With that memory. It, truly, amazed me that Pharaoh had not told Drake, sooner, about Alexander. Rah, within my first few weeks, Pharaoh took me on a walk as our "get to know each other" type of deal, and that was one of the first things we talked about. Romance. Trust. Well, truly, I did not hear it right away from Pharaoh. I'd gone to the library and seen the sculpture of the peacock, and I'd asked Pharaoh about it…

Had Drake gone to the library? Had he seen the sculpture? Had he felt the weight of Alexander's presence in that room? I tried to stay away from it as often as possible. I had nothing against Pharaoh's dead lover. I just felt that the atmosphere was overpowering. Pharaoh had told me that the library was Alexander's favorite room. And, even though his soul had gone to the afterlife, was his memory not lingering? Especially with the sculpture?

I groaned, running fingers through my hair. My heart was thrashing in my chest as I walked down the halls, passing servants and scholars. But I paid them no mind. My thoughts were clouded with my concern for Drake and the way Pharaoh viewed him. Did he give that boy privilege to call him by name to feel like he had his Alexander back? Was his heart too unwilling to let go? And thus his mind painted the image of someone he could never have again over someone that was right in front of him? Over someone living, breathing, feeling and loving?

"Pharaoh, what are you doing to yourself? What are you doing to Drake?" I asked myself, dropping my hands to my sides as I turned another corner. I looked up, seeing Pharaoh slip into his chamber, shutting the door behind him. Unless he had Drake in there with him, now was the perfect time to confront him. I needed to know… I needed to know his motives with Drake, I needed to know that he wasn't going to hurt the youth..

I quickened my pace, rushing down the hallway. My sandals slapped the floor as I stopped at the door, inhaling slowly and knocking once. There was a soft "come in" from the other side and I pulled the door open, slipping inside and shutting it behind me. Darkness washed around me at first before the light of the setting sun defined the room itself.

Pharaoh was sitting at his vanity, wiping his face with some kind of cloth. I frowned, walking around the ring of stone, deciding not to cut across the stairs that led down to his bed. Pharaoh's shoulders were shaking lightly as he cleaned his face, wiping off his makeup. I glanced at his eyes through the mirror, seeing red rings around them and dark bags pulling into his skin.

"My Pharaoh?" I asked. He focused on me, sighing heavily and setting the cloth down on the vanity, folding his hands and resting his forehead on them.

"What, Tommy?" He replied. He sounded exhausted and drained. My heart skipped and lurched to my throat, and I wondered if I would be right in talking to him about Drake now, when he was so upset. Had he gone to the library to visit Alexander's monument? Or had his discussions with Brad and Cassidy not gone well? I sighed, crossing over to him and kneeling at his side, placing my hand on thigh.

"What saddens you?" I asked him, being polite and reserved. Pharaoh's shoulders twitched and he inhaled slowly through his nose. He'd been crying, that was for certain.

"Nothing… Just… Another visit to Alexander, that was all." He said with a heavy breath, refusing to look at me. So, I had been right in my first assumption, after all. My heart clenched in my chest and I looked away from him, gnawing on my bottom lip. A part of me was saying not to talk about this now with him. But a part of me said that, if I didn't, I would never get the opportunity to, again.

"H-how is he?" I asked. Sometimes, after Pharaoh would make his visits, we would talk as if Alexander was still alive. It comforted him, in some strange way, to act as if Alexander was still here, just silent and reserved. I glanced up at Pharaoh, seeing that he'd shifted to resting his chin on his folded hands, staring blankly at the mirror of his vanity.

"He's fine. He seems… Happy." Pharaoh commented gently, before running fingers through his jet black hair. He sighed heavily, appearing so heartbroken before me. Logic was pounding into my head, telling me to not bring up the comparison of Drake and Alexander. Telling me not to do it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking down again. My heart would not stop pounding in my chest, suffocating me and threatening to race so fast that it would just stop. I licked my lips, moistening their cracks before looking back up to Pharaoh again. He had not moved. Had not stopped staring at his reflection in the mirror. I sighed softly, swallowing another lump before opening my mouth to speak.

"Pharaoh… Why did you let Drake call you by your name, last night?" I asked him. Pharaoh was still for a moment, but in his eyes, I saw the tension coil like a thick spring. That tension spread to his shoulders and then his spine. Just watching him go from such a languid state to this was, to say the least, frightening. And I knew that this conversation would not be ending well.

"My decisions are not your concern, Tommy. Please do not bring it up, again." He said, his voice strained. I frowned. I hated being shut out. Before Drake showed up, Pharaoh had always been honest and open with me. Never this. Never so withdrawn and so keen to keep even the simplest of things to himself. I shifted, sitting up a little higher.

"My Pharaoh— please tell me that you're not giving him this privilege because of his resemblance to Alexander…" I pleaded. Pharaoh turned his head towards me, his eyes dark and cold. A shiver ran down the length of my spine and I felt my breath stop in my throat for the briefest of moments.

"I've told you before, his resemblance to Alexander has nothing to do with my decisions. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave me for now." He demanded. Pharaoh knew, though, that I had stubborn tendencies. That I would not leave until I was satisfied with what I'd heard…

"My Pharaoh, please do not lie when you request honesty from me. This isn't a one way street. You want me to trust you, then you must trust me." I told him. Pharaoh turned, standing from the chair of his vanity and towering above me, his frame trembling with tension, his hands slack at his sides.

"I request your immediate dismissal from this room, Thomas." He seethed and I shot to my feet. I was, at least, a head shorter than Pharaoh, but that did not mean I feared him.

"I request your honesty! You chose Drake because he looks like your lover. You gave him the honor of calling out your name because you can't let go of what's gone! That boy is alive! That boy is giving you everything, and you're pretending he's someone else! If you think you can cover Drake with Alexander's _dead_ _memory_ , then you're, surely, mistaken!" I retaliated, my voice rising close to that of a shout. My heart was pounding in my ears and my blood was racing like a sea of horses.

Pharaoh did not say anything. It was as if my last words had made him forget, entirely, who I was. His eyes shifted from their normal blue to something darker, crueler and I saw his arm raise before he backhanded me across the right side of my face. The contact of his flesh to mine burned like nothing else I'd felt, and I cried out, tumbling down to the floor. The lash had been hard enough that I rolled to the steps, crashing down them before reaching the landing to where his bed was.

My face stung and my shoulders and ribs ached, but it wasn't unbearable. I palmed my cheek, feeling the heat radiating off of it as I looked up through the veil of my hair at Pharaoh. His eyes were wide, clear and sorrowful. As if he could not believe that he'd hit me or expressed such rage at all. My heart skipped repeatedly in my chest as my mind tried so hard to process just what had happened.

Pharaoh had never hit me before… At least not without some sort of sexual drive. He'd never shown such anger to me. And the fact that he, for a moment, became another person before my eyes frightened me. Pharaoh stayed by his chair, staring down with wide, grieving eyes as I pulled myself to my feet, leaning against the frame of his bed. Tears were stinging in my eyes and I bowed my head in respect.

"Forgive me for my outburst, My Pharaoh. It shall never happen again," I said, venom laced with my words as my throat began to tighten with sobs. I turned, keeping my head bowed as I crossed the lowered landing, up the stairs and out of his chamber. Pharaoh was silent as I left. As if still in shock. As if still unforgiving towards himself of his own actions. But that was not what concerned me. The burn in my cheek had told me everything I needed to know about how he viewed Drake…

Maybe it wasn't as bad as I feared, but I knew… Pharaoh had put a veil of Alexander's memory over Drake. He was pretending…


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen: I Said No, But You Kept Pushing to the Breaking Point  
Drake's POV**

That night Pharaoh did not request for mine or Tommy's company in his bed and, for that, I was extremely grateful to the Gods. I was still a little shaken from meeting Brad in the hall. I could still taste his tongue on mine… All I really wanted to do was take a cool bath with Tommy and forget this day completely. Was there even anything worth remembering today? No, not really.

I turned the few corners left to where my chambers were. Next to mine were Tommy's and across the hall was a large bathroom we shared. No one else seemed to use it, which was fine with me. I liked having that time alone with Tommy… But as I pushed the bathroom door open, I didn't actually expect to see him there.

He was sitting in the tub though, but he was not washing himself or his hair. He was simply sitting there, looking kind of upset if I was not confusing emotions. "Tommy? What's wrong?" I asked, walking over to the tub. I had a lot on my mind since the whole Brad thing, not just him kissing me but some of the things he had said when Cassidy showed up. I wanted to know about Pharaoh's former lover and who was it that looked like him? Something in the back of my mind told me that I would not like the answer, but that did not stop me from wanting to know what that answer was.

"Nothing, just trying to clear my head," he muttered, glancing over at me but never fully turning his head towards me.

"You're having one of those days too, huh?" I asked, walking over to the edge of the tub. He nodded lightly, sighing softly. He looked like a mess… Tommy… "Do you mind if I join you?" I asked, not wishing to intrude if he wanted some time alone to sort things out.

He just smiled though. "Of course, Drake," he said. "When would I ever turn down your company?" I chuckled, beginning to strip my clothing. I folded them neatly before laying them on the counter of a massive vanity. They were not just simple slacks that could be left on the floor. I took off the few pieces of jewelry I was wearing, the only thing I was extremely fond of was a ring in the shape of the Eye of Horus, the pupil of the eye was a deep emerald color. It was delicate looking and strikingly beautiful. It was one of the pieces I had received when recovering from the inking and it was the only pieces that I wished never to lose. I carefully set it down so I would be able to find it later before I walked over to the tub, gently lowering myself into it to sit next to Tommy.

"Where have you been all day?" Tommy asked me, an arm winding around my hips to pull me closer.

"I… went for a walk. Stumbled upon the library," I said and he tensed a little. Why was that? Because of the sculpture? Whatever it stood for? "It was beautiful but I did not stay long…" I decided not to mention Brad. People seemed to think he was a great guy, so who was I to say otherwise? Fuck…

"Oh, I missed you… I was kind of lonely all day," he admitted and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, love… I didn't mean to be gone so long I was just trying to… clear my head and it didn't exactly work," I said, frowning just slightly.

Tommy turned his head to look down at me and he opened his mouth as if he was going to ask me something or tell me something important, but I never let him get a word out. "Oh Rah, Tommy! What happened to your face?!" I exclaimed, sitting up and carefully taking the older boy's cheeks into my hand, forcing him to turn his head so I could see the damaged side of his face.

A large, hand sized bruise covered his beautiful, and normally flawless, skin. It looked like he had been slapped hard across the face but who would have hit one of Pharaoh's closest personnel? "Tommy… who hit you?" I asked, frowning and gently running my thumb over the large bruise. It looked fresh…

"Nobody hit me I just… walked into a door like a moron," he said, looking away from my eyes. He was lying.

"Thomas, you look me in the eye and tell me someone did not hit you. A door couldn't do that to your face!" I exclaimed, my eyes growing wide with what I was sure was worry and just a little bit of anger. Who would dare hit Tommy like he was some lowly bitch?

He sighed, surrendering and looking me in the eye. "Drake, I know you are worried but please do not be. It was nothing more than a misunderstanding…" he said flatly. Another lie.

"How could this be a misunderstanding? Someone _hit_ you, Tommy! That is not okay!" I said, pleading with my eyes for him to talk to me. "Who, Tommy…?"

"Drake…" he whispered, taking my face in his hands. "Sometimes you have to know when to back down from something you cannot change or win. That is what I am doing and I do not want you to worry about it. I know it will not happen again and I am fine…" he whispered, pressing a kiss to my hair gently. "Everything is okay, I promise but your concern is very much welcomed and I thank you for being so kind. Thank you, Drake." He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips and I moaned, kissing him back.

For a moment, we were the only two people in the world

~

Tommy had spent the night in my room after our heart to heart conversation in the bathtub. There was no enticing kissing that always lead to a throbbing pain between one's legs. There was no inappropriate touching or rubbing. There were simply two friends, trying to comfort the other without knowing the extent of what their companions were distressed about. We only talked about things that seemed rather pointless but helped a great deal and we cuddled, holding each other well into the night.

We both woke up late and even after we woke, we did not immediately get out of bed. We both just… enjoyed each other's company. Adam- Pharaoh might have been our master but we were really in the same boat. We were equals and, aside from Pharaoh, we were the only friends to be had for one another. All the other servants were lower than we were and therefore, they did not fancy us much. Anybody with a higher status simply thought we were tramps but we did our best not to let that bother us.

We had each other.

"Drake… I do not want to go, but I have a few things I should really get done today before dinner," Tommy whispered into my neck. When we woke up this morning we were both feeling a little more playful than the previous night and we spent a good portion of the morning rolling around together, teasingly kissing and nipping at one another. It was more like we were two puppies than two human pleasure servants to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

I pouted at him. "You are just going to leave me alone all day?" I asked, never losing my pout.

He chuckled. Pressing a soft kiss into my pouting lips. "Hey now, do not pull the guilt card on me, Drake. And do not use your adorableness as a weapon. You did the very same thing to me yesterday, leaving me to my thoughts," he argued.

"But Tommy… I really do not want to be left alone to my own…" I whimpered, practically begging him to stay with me. He sighed softly, pressing a kiss into my hair.

"Why don't you go out to the market for a few hours? Shopping should keep you distracted long enough to allow me to do what I need to get done and then we'll spend the rest of the day together, alright?" he suggested. I sighed, but agreed. Going to the market had to be better than wandering the palace again, thinking about what Brad had said yesterday.

"Okay… okay. I suppose I'll be back in a few hours then," I said, sitting up as he stood. "Did Pharaoh say if we needed to accompany him tonight?" It did not sound like I was referring to sex, but Tommy clearly understood.

"He did not say, but I doubt it. He seems very stressed with whatever he and his advisers are trying to get done. I am sure that, if he wants us, he will let us know before dinner," he said, his voice almost dropping into a monotone. I frowned again.

"Alright… I'll see you in a few hours then," I said as he crossed the room to the double doors that separated our rooms. Once he was out of sight, I stood and walked over to my wardrobe. I chose a pair of white shorts, accented in gold, they only hung around my mid thigh, leaving most of my legs uncovered but they were not flushed tight like the short Pharaoh preferred Tommy and myself to wear. They were comfortable and the heat wave was only getting worse, so I did not wish to wear anything that would leave me completely boiling. I also pulled on a loose fitting shirt that was an open oval at the top, leaving my shoulders and upper back exposed. Two thin straps came to rest tightly against my upper arms, which was how the shirt was designed to not fall right off. The shirt was also a white, decorated with gold patterns. Luckily I remember to get my gold sandals from Pharaoh's chambers before I left yesterday, so I strapped those to my feet.

I chose few pieces of jewelry. Two necklaces, one being an ankh and the other was just a simple chain that looked delicate yet sturdy. One bracelet that was actually a snake, wrapping around my wrist with tiny jewels for eyes and the Eye of Horus ring on the opposite hand. For someone so close to the Pharaoh, I looked very modest (don't believe me? Look at how Brad and Cassidy dress on a daily basis).

Quickly, I applied a little amount of make-up, only eyeliner and a soft amount of purple eye shadow before pulling my hair up into it's lopsided pony tail. The day was far too hot to attempt to leave my thick locks laying around my face and neck. Once I was satisfied with my handy work, I left my room, wandering towards the front exit of the palace. Pharaoh trusted us to leave, as long as we did not stay away for more than a few hours at a time and the market was only a short walk in the northern direction.

I was a little less than a corridor away from the front of the palace when I heard a voice that send chills right through my blood. It felt as if my veins began to malfunction because they were attempting to pump ice instead of blood and surely, within a matter of minutes, I would be dead because my body could not pump blood to my brain and to my heart.

"I do not believe I have ever seen you look more gorgeous," Brad said, smirking at me and closing the distance between us. "You certainly are a little flirt, aren't you? Trying to entice men by showing off all your… delicious features…. Is this how you got Our Pharaoh to let you stay?" he whispered into the shell of my ear and I was paralyzed, unable to move even though I wanted nothing more than to shove him away from me and run.

"Beg pardon?" I whispered, keeping my head down. "I only wish to keep the heat away…" I mumbled and he just chuckled, shaking his head and grabbing my upper arms.

"Really? Because I think it's something quite differently entirely, you whore," he said, his voice sweet yet… laced in poison. "And where were you rushing off to? A secret affair, perhaps?"

"What? No… that's ridiculous," I said, trying to ignore the fact that he had just accused me of being a whore. "I was only going to visit the market place." Please, Rah, just make him let go of me.

One of his hands left mine arm and pushed on the wall behind us, which I realized quickly, was not actually a wall but a door that swung open. He grabbed my arm again, pushing me into the small, dark space. The only light visible coming through the open door, which Brad pushed shut.

Fear was boiling in my stomach and I was not entirely sure what to expect, but when Brad's arms curled around my waist and cupped over my groin, I knew exactly what his intentions were…

"Please…" I breathed, attempting to shift out of his hold, but I only succeeded in rubbing up against his erection.

"Oh you are quite the little slut, aren't you? No wonder Pharaoh likes you so much. You are probably willing to spread your legs for anyone who asks," he hissed into my ear, biting down on the lobe and I cried out because it fucking hurt.

"No… That isn't true…" I breathed, attempting to turn out of his hold again but he was much stronger than he looked, stronger than me by a great deal.

"Shut your mouth and listen to me, you cunt," his hissed, turning me to face him before shoving my back into the wall behind us. I cried out again. Why could no one hear me?! Why would no one come and save me from this nightmare?! "I do not care if you are the Pharaoh's play thing. I do not even care if he loves you or not, if you breathe one word of what happens between us to _anyone_ , you will regret it," he hissed.

Tears were forming in my eyes. "Please sir I…" he slapped me across the face and I wondered, briefly, if he had slapped Tommy the day before.

"Do not speak again," he hissed at me, his hand running up my thigh, pushing into the bottom of my shorts and suddenly, I regretted wearing them. "I may not be the Pharaoh of Egypt, but I am a very powerful man and I can make very powerful things happen," his whispered, his fingers brushing against my non-erection. "If you do not do as I say, I will have your family executed and what I say is this: You will not tell anyone of what we do. You will not fight me on what I want." His hand wrapped around my being and my mouth dropped open with a gasp.

"If you disobey me, I will have every single one of your brothers and sisters, along with your mother, killed. If you even think about telling Our Pharaoh, I will, personally, have you killed," he said, sounding overly happy about that as his fingers began to stroke me. I could not stop the moan because, although I hated every minute of this, I was a teenage boy who had an overactive sex drive since first being brought here. "I know you will not disobey me. You are such a good little slut," he whispered, kissing my neck gently and he bit down, his nails digging into my groin. I cried out, arching away from him in attempts to move away but there was nothing but a wall behind me.

Surely Pharaoh would see the marks he left, everybody would, but once Brad released me and told me I could leave, I went to check my neck and was shocked to see that there were no marks. He'd bitten me so hard… how were there no marks? I pulled my shorts off and sat down in front of a mirror that had been in my room before it was mine. I sat with my knees in the air and bent out to the sides so I could see all of my thighs, among other things, and I looked carefully for claw marks that Brad must have left, but there was nothing.

How did he not mark me? How was it even possible that he did not mark me?

Tears started to swell in my eyes and I kicked the mirror, watching it fall onto the floor and shatter. I couldn't even recognize myself anymore. I had been turned into a whore, and it was fine when it was only Pharaoh and Tommy's attention I was receiving, but now Brad? And apparently everyone else who worked in this palace was attracted to me?! Why? I, honestly, wasn't even that pretty! Why me?

 _Why had Pharaoh even chosen me in the first place?_

The tears began to fall and I couldn't control them. I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face into them and I just sobbed. Violated and unsafe, that's all I felt right now, despite Pharaoh's promises to me. What if Brad really did have my family executed? Could he do that?

I believed he could… and I cried for them. I cried for myself. I cried simply because I was scared and I was vulnerable to Brad because nobody believed he would ever do anything wrong…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty: Who they want you to be, who they wanted to see**

 **Adam's POV**

I couldn't believe I hit Tommy.

I stood beside my vanity, watching him stumble down the steps towards my bed. Watching him gather himself up as the bruise began to settle into his skin. Watching as he bowed his head, apologized and left the room. My heart wouldn't stop pounding as the guilt started to set into my blood, pumping through my body and making me feel like hell. As it was, I was still upset from my visit with Alexander's… monument, and the argument…

Speaking of which, what was Tommy thinking? Talking back to me and questioning my decisions in choosing Drake to serve me. Questioning my decisions for how he should address me in my own bedroom. Who was he to talk to me in such a fashion, when he was just a servant and I was the King of all Egypt? I sighed softly, dropping my gaze away from the stairs. But no matter how much I wanted to be angry with Tommy about his outburst, the guilt from hurting him in such a fashion outweighed that. It outweighed everything that I felt. The confusion, the anger, the pain… Rah, what had I done to Tommy?

I turned away from the spot, walking back to my vanity. I sat down on at my chair, folding my hands in front of my and resting my forehead into them. Nothing was making any sense and everything was becoming so overwhelming all at the same time. Egypt wasn't progressing nearly as strong as it had when my father had been Pharaoh. And, it was hard, but things were decent and there was progress when he was still alive, but, it seemed, that the year he died, everything just… Began to fall.

I choked on a soft sob, squeezing my eyes shut and biting down on my lower lip. I hated this. I hated not knowing what to do for my people and I hated feeling so… So weak and unable to serve my people as they served me. I wanted to help them. I wanted to give them jobs so they could support themselves and their families and I wanted to do so much for them, but I just couldn't…

"Alexander… I need you…" I whispered to myself, shaking with sobs that were threatening to fall from my lips as wails. Part of me wanted to return to the library, but I knew that, if I went back there, the vicious cycle of pain would start all over again. I couldn't afford that. I couldn't afford to be emotionally unstable again, like I had been six years ago.

The next morning, I was back in my private hall with Brad and Cassidy. Both advisers were dressed in white trousers and shear shirts with gold trims. Cuffs and necklaces clung to their wrists and necks; their eyes were done up with liner and shadow. I was just the same, but with different colors. My trousers were royal blue, the shear shirt just the same with emerald green embroidery. My eyes had thin strokes of liner but without the shadow. No jewels or necklaces clung to me; I was rather plain for today.

Brad and Cassidy were bickering back and forth, again, about jobs and whether or not the peasants should just flock to the pyramids. I kept my hands folded in front of my, my mouth resting into the curve of them as I listened. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be back in my chambers with my boys in my arms, kissing them and holding them. I didn't want to be here…

"There's a surplus of large families in Egypt and not enough of them have children of suitable age to work. There should be a limit on the number of children per household…" Brad argued, his body animated in his defense. Cassidy was more reserved, calmer and collected. He kept still most of the time, his emotions showing more in his face and less in his body.

"Then what of the families who have children that would exceed such limit? What of them? Do we execute the youngest? The oldest? What then, Brad? A limit would serve no purpose that would be beneficial for our society right now. What we need is to find jobs that the younger children can do…" Cassidy said. I let my eyes slide shut as I tried to tune everything out. I didn't. Want. To. Be. Here.

"Send the children to work then. Are there no fields, no shops, no whorehouses?" My eyes shot open and I glared at Brad.

"What purpose would _that_ serve, Bradley? Sending children to whorehouses? To become slaves to sadistic pleasure?" I hissed. Brad's eyes went wide for a moment before he licked his lips.

"What about _your_ boys, Pharaoh? Were they not taken from their homes due to lack of money to serve _your_ pleasure?" He retaliated, his eyes burning with a kind of fire that was strange coming from him. And, that was, perhaps, the one thing about Brad that I did not favor. He was rebellious. He was not afraid to fight back to make a point, no matter how messed up it might've been. I shot from my chair, staring him down beside me.

"My boys are of _age_ , Bradley. You're suggesting sending _children_ to do what they do, and that is _wrong_!" I seethed, my arms tensing as I gripped the edge of the table with my hands. My knuckles were stretching white, though I did not need to see them for this to be true. Brad's eyes widened further and they looked back and forth between mine. He seemed to be at a loss for words, "I've worked too hard to make this empire mean something. I've worked too hard to make it a good place for my people and I'm not going to change my morals to give unsuitable jobs to the children of my people.

"If we're so concerned about making money, then why not make things like daycare centers? People who work well with children can teach them to read and write the ancient texts. Teach them mathematics. We have schools, yes, but what about the _younger_ children? The ones who're too young for schools? We need people who can be patient with them.

"And you know something? Our methods for building the pyramids is so ancient, so… Unproductive. We're making no progress with the old ways when we have the technology to progress it all." I said. At some point I'd turned away from them, walking over to the window and just ranting. I wasn't even, really, aware of what I was saying, but I was just saying anything that came to mind…

"My Pharaoh?" Cassidy said gently. I heard his chair scuff against the stone before he spoke, "Where is all of this coming from? Why have you not suggested this sooner?" He asked. I turned away from the window, staring over at the older of the two advisers. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was breathing hard.

"Because the suggestion of whorehouses had not been brought up, either. That's child prostitution, and I refuse to be associated with that. I want what's best for my people, and what's best is daycare centers, teaching positions, tutors, people who can manufacture the technology to build more efficient pyramids at a much faster and safer rate. People who can learn." I retorted, inhaling slowly, "Fuck, we've had all this knowledge for thousands upon thousands of years and we're not using it in the slightest. It's time that we started. This isn't some ancient era."

"My Pharaoh, surely you can't expect all of this technology and all of the jobs to suddenly appear over night?" Brad commented, standing from his seat. I frowned, exhaling a heavy breath before looking back at him.

"No. I'm aware that it'll take time. Which is why I'm dismissing you two from today's meeting. Tomorrow we'll discuss the funds for technology, the funds for building centers and hiring the best people for these jobs. We're going to better Egypt, not continue fighting about it." I said, waving them off. They bowed their heads before leaving the room as I turned back towards the window, staring out at the land below.

There was so much to be done and I was sick of fighting around ways to make change. Why not just dive into it? I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I leaned into the frame of the window. There was no glass, which allowed a nice breeze to pass through. So much to be done… So little time to really do it all in. I mean, I doubted that I would expire anytime soon, but… Changes would often take months or years to take effect. What if we could not do it all at once?

I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling frustrated with myself. Why did I not get this all taken care of several years ago? Why did I neglect it for so long after my father died? Should I have taken his advice to keep the empire strong? Yes. But did I? No. I groaned, running my fingers through my hair before I pushed off from the frame, walking over to the other side of the room. So much…

I pulled the door open, walking out before letting it shut behind me. I had half a mind to go to the library but I decided against it. After yesterday, there was something else a little more pressing on my mind. I licked my lips, walking down the hallway. Cassidy and Brad had already disappeared to tend to their own business.

Brad… What had gotten into him? What was his deal? Sending children to whorehouses? Sending people to become slaves to work for the pyramids? No. There were more opportunities. There were _better_ opportunities. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. Brad had been acting strange lately, especially during our discussions. And who was he to mention my boys and how they served me?

My boys… Drake… He was always so tense around Brad…

I shook my head, turning the corner and walking farther down. My pace was slow to compensate everything that was swimming through my head. I wanted to talk to them. I wanted to be with them. But all the same I wanted be alone. But being alone left me in pain. I hated being alone. I'd been alone before, and I was not a fan of it, to be honest. The time between Alexander's death and Tommy being brought to me— those three years— that had been the longest of my life, ever. So emotionally painful…

No. I needed to be with them. I needed to hold them. But I needed to apologize to Tommy. I needed to. I hadn't seen him since yesterday, when I hit him, and I needed to apologize. But where was he today? I sighed, passing my chamber and walking in the direction of Tommy and Drake's rooms. Maybe I'd be lucky and Drake would be around.

I turned another corner, walking farther down. Drake's door was coming into sight and I felt my heart lurch to my throat. But why? I shook my head again, biting down on my bottom lip as I neared Drake's room. I raised my hand, but I didn't knock right away. I held my hand there, debating. What if he wasn't in? What would I do then? Return to my chambers and wait for one of them to come to me? No. They probably wouldn't, anyway. I'd not told them that I wanted them in my chambers tonight, considering I'd gone to my conference-thing with Brad and Cassidy early this morning…

Despite my inner turmoil, I knocked on the door. There was a muffled sound on the other side, and I opened the door slowly. Drake was curled up on his bed and he didn't move even as I opened the door. I frowned, taking a step inside as he glanced over at me. His face went red as he sat up, but he didn't turn towards me.

"Drake?" I asked softly, walking over to him. He kept his head bowed, slightly turned away from me for a moment. I frowned again, kneeling down next to his bed. There was a shadow on his face and I felt my heart slam into the cage of my ribs. His eyes were rimmed with red and he refused to look at me.

"Baby?" I reached up, attempting to lift his head and he flinched. I snapped my hand out, grabbing a hold of his chin. He gasped as I forced his head up, staring at his face. The right side of his face was reddened, like he'd run into something or— or he'd been slapped.

My heart crashed to a stop in my chest and, I wondered for a moment, if I had… Done to this him at some point. But I couldn't have. I couldn't have hurt him at all because I had not seen him much in the past two days. I couldn't have hurt him. So who did, then? Who would lay a hand on my boy?

Drake was trembling in my grasp and I let go of his chin. He dropped his head in a bow again, shaking with tears. I reached up, running my fingers through his hair. His whimpers were soft, gentle. They were barely there, but the fact that they existed at all was what was breaking my heart. Who could have hurt him? I inhaled slowly, shifting so that I stood, briefly, sitting beside him and pulling him into my arms.

"Baby, who did this to you?" I asked him, stroking his hair. Drake just whimpered, nothing more. I wanted him to tell me. I wanted to make the son of a bitch who hurt him pay, but he… He seemed reluctant. Even as I asked him again and again who hurt him, he didn't say anything. Not a word.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One: I've Been Brought Straight Down to My Knees  
Tommy's POV**

My errands had taken a much longer time than I expected and I was praying to the Gods that he was not angry with me for leaving him alone all day. Hopefully he got caught up at the market and had a good time. Maybe he would not have noticed my absence.

I sighed, going to my room to make myself look presentable before going to the doors that connected mine and Drake's rooms. I hoped he was in because I wanted to see him. I hated being alone ever since Drake had joined us and I hated leaving him alone for such long periods of time. He was not used to something like that. He was always around a big family and now that he was here, he was adjusting to so much more than just being used to sex. He had to get used to being lonely a lot of the time.

Which I hated for him and myself…

Slowly, I pushed the door open, not wanting to scare the boy. "Baby? You in here?" I called out, walking in and closing the door behind me. The first thing I noticed was that Drake's body mirror was on the floor in pieces and the next were soft whines and cries and, for a moment, I wondered if Drake's mirror had fallen on top of him and hurt him but that didn't really make much sense.

"Drake?" I turned towards his bed, seeing Drake curled up against Pharaoh's chest, laying in his arms and sobbing, the right side of his face bruised, like mine… "Oh Rah…" I quickly walked over to the bed, sitting next to Pharaoh. For a moment, I wondered if he had been the one who had slapped Drake. Honestly, he slapped me the previous night, who was to say he would not slap Drake too? If Drake did something that disrupted Pharaoh's image of Alexander, he might have lashed out but…

No, that could not have been what happened. If Pharaoh had hit him, he would not be holding him so tightly, trying to comfort him. If not Pharaoh, then what? What could have happened?

"My Pharaoh?" I asked, reaching out and running my fingers through Drake's hair. He did not look at me but he nuzzled his head into my hand. I did not need to elaborate more for Pharaoh to understand my meaning.

"I do not know, Tommy… I came to see you both when I left Cassidy and Brad," he began and Drake tensed under my touch. "I knocked on his door and he didn't respond to me. When I opened the door, he was curled up on the bed crying. I have been trying for the past hour to get him to talk to me, but he refuses to. He has not said a word…" Pharaoh muttered, clenching Drake tightly and I couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to protect Drake or Alexander.

I frowned, looking down at the boy Pharaoh was holding onto so tightly. "Drake, honey, please… if someone hurt you, you should talk to us…" I pleaded and Drake did not even shake his head in reply, he only closed his eyes, probably so he did not have to see mine and Pharaoh's pleading eyes. I sighed, still petting his hair. Perhaps he would speak to me if Pharaoh was not there… I knew Drake was falling in love with Pharaoh but Pharaoh was still a very intimidating person. And, it would be a lie if Drake said he did not, at least a little bit, feel the same way about me. "Will you talk to me alone?" I asked but in reality, I was pleading with him.

Drake only shook his head, new tears forming at the edges of his eyes. "I have tried everything, Tommy…" he said, sounding miserably upset with himself. "I have begged and pleaded with him. I have offered him everything to tell me what happened. I know someone hit him but he refuses to talk to me…" he continued, sounding more and more defeated. "He just will not talk…"

"Drake… Please, if someone hit you, then… Then you need to tell us," I said, sounding compassionate but, at the same time, stern.

Hard blue eyes met mine. "You aren't my father, Thomas, and if I do not wish to talk to you, I won't," he hissed. "If I do recall, someone hit _you_ yesterday and _you_ wouldn't talk to me about it, so why should I talk to you?!" He had a point… but if Pharaoh was the one who hit Drake, Pharaoh would not be cuddling with him now. Something told me this was far worse than just a smack to the face too…

Pharaoh's eyes met mine next and I sighed, looking away from him. I did not wish to speak of last night. Right now, I was more worried about what was wrong with Drake and who had hurt him. Surely it could not have been Brad… Maybe one of the other servants had run into him and, because of their jealousies, either of his beauty or of his relationship with Pharaoh, had gotten a little carried away. But, if that was the case, why would he not just tell us that?

Did he feel bad for whoever hurt him? Or was he afraid of that person?

I swallowed the lump in my throat, shifting my position so I was sitting next to Pharaoh and in easy reach of Drake. "Baby please… This is different…" I said quietly, leaning forward and pressing my lips to his forehead. "Please talk to us…"

Drake turned his head away from my lips, which pulled a huge frown from me. If he was rejecting soft, warm kisses, there was definitely something wrong. The fact that he was being so stubborn about it was also making me worry that whatever happened to him today would happen to him again.

"How exactly is this any different?" he asked, sounding boyish and afraid. The way he spoke told me that there was something very different about his situation but he was unwilling to tell either of us what that was. Come on, he would not even tell us who had hit him! Why would he tell us any of the other details?

My eyes shifted away from Drake. I could not really tell him that Pharaoh had hit me, I mean… I acted out last night even though I fully believe Pharaoh deserved what I had said to him but, I was still very much out of line. I also did not want Drake to fear Pharaoh or make him look like a bad person. Sure, I was still a little angry at Pharaoh, but that did not mean I would always be. If anything, the thing I was worried about most was protecting Drake from Pharaoh hurting him because of Alexander.

If Drake ever found out about Alexander and his likeness to Alexander…? Oh Rah, that would break his heart…

"Well, I…" I started but I could not think of a valid excuse for why my getting slapped was different than his. I knew that Drake's problem was more than just a slap to the face, but without him telling me what that was, I had no argument. Whatever had happened to Drake had to have something to do with his shattered mirror, right?

"I hit him," Pharaoh said and I could not help the gasp that fell off of my lips. I could not believe he would admit that to Drake. The boy, while in love, already feared him for how rough he could be in the bedroom but to know that Pharaoh had actually allowed himself to slap one of his boys across the face? Rah…

Drake's eyes widened and, for a moment, fear filled them and he looked as if he wanted to move out of Pharaoh's hold on him. "W-what?" Drake whispered, sounding so young… No more than twelve or thirteen there.

Pharaoh sighed, looking away as if he were ashamed of what he had done. That made me feel a twinge better but I was still sore about last night's events. I only wished to protect Drake from heartache that a boy his age should never have to endure… I would know, I was walking down that path when I was his age. "He said something that… really hit a nerve and I lost my temper. I should not have and it was wrong. I very much regret it and I promise you, both of you, that it will never happen again," he said, looking from Drake's eyes to mine. He leaned over, still holding Drake close to him as he pressed a soft kiss into my bruised cheek. "I really am sorry, Tommy…" he whispered.

I just blinked, nodding. "Thank you, My Pharaoh," I whispered quietly. "I am sorry for stepping out of line…" Though, I did not regret it. I hoped what I said sunk in some so Pharaoh would think before playing with Drake's heart.

He nodded softly. "It's alright, Tommy…" he whispered but I could see turmoil in his eyes. Drake shifted in Pharaoh's arms and he got both of our attentions back. "Baby… please, I am begging you to tell us what happened to you and who did it. Baby, I want to take care of you, but if you do not let me, I cannot do anything. I want to protect you but you need to help me do that. Please, my boy? Please?" Pharaoh nuzzled his face into Drake's neck gently but Drake only tensed and pushed away from Pharaoh's hold a little.

"I can't… I can't tell you," he whispered, closing his eyes in distress. He wanted to, I could tell that much. He wanted to tell us so badly but he could not bring himself to. How could someone frighten him so much to panic like this? He was the Pharaoh of Egypt's lover. Who could he possibly have to be afraid of? "I am very sorry but I just cannot… I'm sorry…" he whispered, more tears leaking out of his eyes and down his face.

"Drake…" I reached over, taking his hands in my own. "Please… Whatever happened, we will take care of it. All you have to do is tell us…" Drake only shook his head, more tears flowing and my heart was cracking. By the look on Pharaoh's face told me that he was feeling exactly the same way.

"Honey, I am begging you as a friend, a lover and as the Pharaoh of Egypt, please just talk to me. I told you from day one that I would protect you and take care of you," Pharaoh whispered, pressing his forehead to Drake's and sweeping his thumbs along Drake's cheeks to wipe away his tears. "All you have to do is tell me who hurt you and I can make it go away. I promise you, you will be fine. Nothing will happen to you, baby, just please, please tell me…" I had never seen Pharaoh beg like that before. Not for anything. If he wanted something, go was never refused. Never up until this point, that is.

"I'm sorry…" Drake whispered again, shaking his head in Pharaoh's grasp. Agony filled Pharaoh's eyes and I wondered, briefly, if maybe he really did love Drake but then I remembered last night. No, he only loved the image of Alexander that Drake carried with him without knowledge of carrying it. "I just can't… I'm sorry…" he repeated, his lower lip quivering. He wanted to tell us so badly but he was so afraid to speak. My heart ached at the site of him and all I wanted to do was lay down and hold him, protect him until he was no longer afraid to tell us what was wrong.

I shifted again so I was sitting across from Pharaoh and I wrapped my arms tightly around Drake, resting my head against his shoulder in attempts to comfort him further. "It will be okay Drake… It will be alright," I whispered, hoping that those words were true, but Drake did not seem to think so because he just burst into tears again.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Use your voice every single time you open up your mouth…**

 **Drake's POV**

I was a little shell shocked, to say the least, when Pharaoh told me he'd been the one who hit Tommy so forcefully. I didn't want to believe it, but Tommy wasn't denying it and I knew Pharaoh wouldn't lie about something like that. But… I almost wished that he had… I didn't know, before, that Pharaoh was capable of hurting someone so close to him like that. I didn't want to believe that he could do something like that, and, especially, to Tommy! Of all people, Tommy…

But the moments had passed… They tried so passionately to get me to talk about what had happened, but I refused to tell them what Brad had done to me for fear of the execution of my family. I didn't want to think that he would kill them, but I knew I couldn't test him. I couldn't fight him. And since that day, he would find me, even if I was left alone for the briefest of moments. He would find me, and he would touch me, kiss me and leave such gentle bites that I felt them, but their scar did not remain.

It'd been about a week since Brad's first assault. I couldn't stop the shakes that I would feel every time I walked down the halls alone. I tried to go everywhere with Tommy, tried to do anything with him. But there were some things that Tommy had to do that did not require my presence. And I would be left alone. I tried to stay in my room as much as possible, but I went out on occasion. I didn't want to give Brad a reason to start invading my room to see me…

Rah… I knew I needed to tell someone— anyone— what he was doing. The fact that he was feeling up one of the Pharaoh's boys, stealing kisses, taking forbidden touches… This was all wrong, but I couldn't speak. I couldn't for the lives of my brothers and sisters… And my mother. I couldn't sacrifice their lives for my selfishness. If suffering now and then meant their survival, then I would be content. I would do anything…

Well, maybe I shouldn't have spoken so soon…

I was taking a walk through the halls again, my feet taking me back towards the library. It was nearly dusk now and I hadn't seen Brad at all. I wondered, often, if he was stuck in conferences with Pharaoh or if he simply did not have any sick pleasure to see me today. But that did not stop me from glancing over my shoulder now and then, just to see if he was lurking behind me. Shivers trembled down my spine and I almost felt utter relief when I made it to the library doors. Such relief.

I pulled them open, slipping inside and letting them shut. The library was open, daily, but it always appeared to be empty whenever I visited it. I inhaled slowly, walking at a much calmer pace down the aisles upon aisles of books and documents, sculptures and paintings. My feet guided me through a maze of colors and leather bound books and paper backs. Unfinished fantasies and logic…

Was it strange that I found this place so comforting? I sighed, feeling happy for the first time today… For the first time all week, actually. Constantly living in fear of what Brad was going to do next was, by no means, healthy, but it seemed to be a great weight loss program… The fuck am I saying? I'm not eating because I'm anxious. I'm anxious because of Brad. I sighed again, leaning against a book shelf, inhaling the scent of old leather and paper.

In truth, I was hating every moment of this. I was hating feeling so weak. To be unable to trust even the Pharaoh of Egypt when he professed that he could help me. That he could keep me safe. Maybe… Maybe if I told him, then he'd be able to get my family to safety without Brad knowing about it and then he could confront his adviser? Maybe then I'd be safe…

But… What if Pharaoh was like Tommy? What if he did not believe me when I said that Brad's hands roamed where only his were meant to? That Brad's lips had taken kisses without his knowledge? What if he did not believe me, and thought that this was all a cry for help? What then? Would I take whatever torture Brad would give me for the rest of my life then?

Tears stung in my eyes as I walked forward away, lost in the maze of books and shelves before I came to the center, staring at the magnificent peacock, perched in the new moon. I sniffed, feeling a tear sliding down my cheek as I stumbled over to the sculpture. There was something… Oddly comforting about it. I wiped away at my tears, falling to my knees in front of the statue. The peacock loomed above me, but it was like a guardian…

"Look… I… I don't know who you're for, or… Why you're here. I don't even know if you can hear me at all… But… I.. I don't know what to do. I'm so conflicted. I feel like I'm supposed to— to trust the Pharaoh, but I can't. I can't tell him what's happening. I can't tell him because then… Then Brad will kill my family… He'll kill me." I whispered to the statue. If I couldn't tell anyone living, why not talk to that which isn't? It was like talking to a grave— to a lost loved one. But it was comforting. Just the warmth of getting all of this pain off of my chest, even if it meant I would not get a response, was enough for me.

"I don't.. I don't want them to die. Brad can kill me, he can do whatever he wants, but I.. I can't sacrifice my family. I can't do that for my selfishness. But… Am I not supposed to trust Pharaoh? Isn't that why I was inked? He promised me no harm would come to me, and now all of this? And I can't even tell him?! Please… Please, tell me what I can do… Please…" I begged, tears sliding down my face. I bowed my head, burying my face into my hands as I began to weep.

My tears did not last long, though. I wish I could've drowned in them…

"Aww, poor little baby," I gasped, lifting my head. I didn't turn, though. I stared at the base of the statue. I was trembling head to toe as he footsteps scuffed against the stone of the room before sliding against the Persian rug that I knelt on. The atmosphere seemed to grow cold as he stopped behind me. I watched his shadow as he bent down, threading his fingers through my hair and pulling me off of my shins and straight onto my knees. I threw my arms up, my hands clawing at his wrist as I howled. How Tommy liked getting his hair pulled, I would never understand…

Brad slapped me across the face and I shut up immediately. I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut as the pain swelled in my cheek. It was the same one he hit a few days ago, when he first shoved me into that room… I trembled as Brad bent down, his lips pressed to the shell of my ear as he whispered, "So… I can do _anything I want_ , huh?" My eyes shot open and I stared at him, forgetting to breathe. He smirked, his hand tightening in my hair.

"No… No, please…" I begged without thinking, and he hit me again. I cried out, falling to the rug as he let go of my hair. I whimpered as he knelt down beside me, reaching over and stroking my hair out of my face.

"Now, now… Pretty whores like you don't cry…" He said, pulling on my hair again and pulling me up against him. His free hand caressed my cheek, but I wanted to bite at his fingers. I shivered, whimpering and staring him in the eye, no matter how much I wanted to look away. "Pretty whores like you scream and beg for what they're being given…" He hissed, slamming his mouth over mine, shoving his tongue down my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to moan. I… I liked kissing, but I did _not_ like kissing Brad…

The hand that wasn't holding me by my hair slid down my neck before gripping to the collar of my shirt. Awkwardly, he managed to pull it off of me, only having to let go of my hair for a brief few moments. I whimpered, shaking as he dipped his head down, pressing filthy kisses into my collarbones and my chest, nipping here and there. I kept my eyes shut, gnawing on my bottom lip. I didn't want to enjoy this, but my body recognized the touches and recognized the pleasure that I, usually, got from them… I couldn't like this… This was Pharaoh. This wasn't Tommy. This was Brad. I didn't… No…

"Such a fucking slut, aren't you." Brad hissed into my ear, raking his nails down my chest. I threw my head back, screaming. Wishing, dearly, that someone would hear me. But I doubted it. The walls were made of stone. The doors made of thick, aged wood. The only windows viewed out to the gardens, and it was so hot today. I doubted anyone would be outside, much, unless it was vital.

"No one's gonna hear you. Scream all you want, Drake." Brad commented, as if reading my mind as he bit my nipple. I arched, gasping softly. No. I couldn't like this. This was all wrong…

"Such a whore, Drake. You're such a _fucking whore_." He hissed again, his hands tearing my shorts off. I whimpered, instinctively kicking at him. I connected with his stomach and he let out a soft _oomph_ before slapping me across the face again.

"Bitch, I warned you about fighting back!" He seethed, his spit hitting me on the face. I whimpered again as he tossed my clothes away, leaving me naked and exposed in front of him. I tried curling away, but his fingers dug into my hips, flipping me over so that my chest was pressed to the rug. My heart was thrashing in my chest as I began to cry into the Persian material. This couldn't be happening. This… No…

"No, please… Don't do this, please, don't…" I whimpered. I heard a soft _schink_ sound and my eyes widened. What was that— burning. Hot agony. I arched, crying out as it registered that a blade had cut into my shoulder, dragging down across my flesh. I choked on a breath, trying to keep my screams to a minimum. He'd just… He'd just cut me…

"Speak out of line again and this blade will start cutting you to ribbons, slut." Brad hissed. I groaned, whimpering as the tears fell into the rug. There was a shift of clothing falling away and skin on skin. Brad moaned softly before grabbing me by my hips again, pulling my lower half into the air. My heart was pounding like a drum gone insane and I cried into the carpet. I wanted to beg him to stop. I wanted to…

"Please, no…" I whispered without meaning too, and, sure enough, I felt the knife dig into my bag again, slashing across the first cut, spreading farther along my skin. It was along my shoulders and spine… The tattoos… He was cutting my tattoos…

"Such a shame. Your inking was so beautiful…" He hissed, gripping my ass and spreading me open before slamming into me. I arched, digging my nails into the rug as I screamed, tears running down my face in rivers. No lube. No preparation. Just a straight drive in. And it _hurt_. It hurt worse than my first night when Pharaoh took my virginity. It hurt worse than the inking. I was sure, almost, that it hurt worse than those two combined…

Brad moaned, rocking his hips and slamming into me again. I choked, crying out before sobbing for a moment. This couldn't be happening… This couldn't be happening, but no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I wasn't feeling this, Brad would slam into me, harder than before, and I would scream again. If he ever hit that pleasure spot in me, I didn't feel it. My whole body was burning with pain, there was no way I could feel pleasure from any of this…

"Such… A.. mm, good whore…" Brad moaned, his nails digging into my hips, harder than before. I choked on another scream, trying to pull away from his grasp. He growled, pounding hard into my as he let go of one of my hips. My mind was at a cross of what he was doing, but I felt the blade in my skin again, cutting three more times. I screamed, arching away from the blade as much as possible. My cheek was rubbing into the Persian material, and I was almost certain I was getting a rug-burn from all of this…

"Please, stop! Stop, please! Please…" I begged, but I knew it was worthless. Tears were pouring down my face and Brad just kept thrusting into me like I was his bitch. Like I was meant to go down on my knees and offer myself to him… I didn't want to be here. Why did I ever leave my room? Why did I come here?!

It must've lasted for all of eternity before Brad's thrusts were becoming erratic. His moaning was louder, ragged and he wasn't even making coherent sense anymore. The pain was dulling away and I was beginning to feel him stabbing that spot inside of me. I couldn't stop the gasps and moans. It was instant reaction, to say the least. Brad chuckled, letting go of one of my hips and reaching around, grabbing my half-hard member, pumping on it like it was to save his life. The mixed waves of pleasure, despite the giver, made me moan louder.

"That's right, you bitch… Moan for me… Come undone… Come for me just like you come for Our Pharaoh. Come for me like the whore that you are…" Brad hissed. I cried into the rug, moaning now and then as he slammed into that spot, and I came apart at the seams. I wished, though, that I really had. I wished that I could've disappeared into dust when I came. Because, barely a moment later, I felt him come inside of me. I felt disgusted. I felt filthy. I felt violated and damaged… Pharaoh would never want me again…

"Such a good slut… How does it feel, Drake? To know that not even the Pharaoh of all Egypt can protect you…" Brad whispered. I whimpered as he pulled out, and I just collapsed onto the carpet. There was a shuffle of clothing on skin and I heard Brad sheathe his knife, which was, probably, still stained with my blood. "Remember what I said. Say a word and your family dies." He said before leaving me in the silence of the library.

I cried, naked and used, his seed spilling out from between my legs, along with blood, I was sure. My back burned every time that I moved. I would not be able to put anything on it to keep the wounds clean without raising suspicion. Good. If I got infected, maybe I would die. And then I wouldn't have to suffer anymore. And Pharaoh wouldn't have a whore for a boy on his hands…

' _Don't say that… You'll make it through this. Brad has to leave at some point. He and Cassidy have other matters of their own in other cities, remember? They won't be here much longer and then you can forget this ever happened._ ' Sure. Like I could believe that. They might leave for a while, but they'd have to come back at some point. And then the nightmare would start all over again.

After a while, as the sun began to set in the West and the library grew dark, I pulled myself to my feet, dressing quickly but being mindful of my back. I regretted my decision to wear white. I knew, for sure, that these clothes would be ruined by the time I got back to my room. Which reminded me… I needed to keep to the shadows… I couldn't risk anyone seeing the blood… I had to keep this quiet.

' _Just tell the Pharaoh. He'll make this all go away, Drake… He'll end this…_ ' I choked on a sob, glancing up at the sculpture. So much for comfort…

But Brad's words haunted me… _How does it feel? To know that not even the Pharaoh of all Egypt can protect you?_ I shuddered, tears springing to my eyes and spilling down my cheeks as I hurried out of the library. Everything was aching and it was hard to walk quickly without being in excruciating pain. My shirt was sticking to my back, due to the blood, I knew. I choked on a whimper, pulling the door open before glancing out. No one in the halls. Maybe, if I was lucky, I'd be able to get to my room before anyone saw me. More importantly, the bathroom. I needed to wash away the disgust and filth that I felt, though I doubted it would ever leave me.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Things Shouldn't Be Said Yet They Are and Often Taken Too Far  
Adam's POV**

It had been nearly nine or ten days since the day Drake had been slapped by some mystery person and he had only gotten more rigid. At dinner, he was silent, not one word which was strange for him. He had become more and more used to talking and he was quite sociable once he was used to being here. Now he would not speak. He would not even look at anyone. Not Tommy, not my advisers, not even me…

What was worrying me even more was that he never touched his food. He did not even try to make it look like he was eating by pushing it around his plate, he simply didn't touch it. Drake was a small boy when he was brought to me and while he had built up a little, he was completely losing all progress he had made. Even worse than just losing the weight he had put on, I was sure he was smaller than he was when he came… Not eating for ten days took it's toll on his body.

I had not had much use from Tommy and Drake's serves lately because I was too busy trying to figure out how to get funding for new technology for Egypt. That and my recovered grief for Alexander and confusion towards how I felt for Drake had kept me away from my boys sexually but Drake was so rigid lately, I wondered if he would even _let_ me touch him. Rah, my poor baby…

Today's dinner was no better and even after asking Drake to eat something repeatedly, he didn't. There were new bruises on his face that had appeared a few days ago but he still refused to tell me or Tommy who had done it. When dinner was dismissed, I held Drake aside as everyone else exited the room.

"Baby, please talk to me. What's going on?" I asked for about the billionth time that week. He stared at the floor, unwilling to look up at me. "Drake…" I cupped his face gently, pulling his eyes up to meet me. "Baby, I am so scared for what is happening to you. I want you to tell me so badly so I can help you, but if you won't I can't stop whatever is going on…"

Tears started to build up in Drake's eyes and I bit my lip. I hated seeing my boy's upset, especially Drake. When Drake cried, I remembered when Alexander was sick and dying. He accepted it gracefully but that did not stop the sobs. That never stopped the tears from flowing freely and when Drake cried, I felt like I was losing him too… "I can't, My Pharaoh… I'm sorry," he whispered. I knew he wanted to pull away from my hold, but I kept my hands tightly enough that he knew I did not want him to pull back.

"Drake… please, please stop telling me you can't. What is keeping you from talking, baby? Are you afraid that I will be displeased or did someone threaten you?" I asked, concern and worry lacing my tone.

I didn't let go of his face, but his eyes drifted away from me. He refused to look me in the eye as he spoke which told me he was lying. "Neither… I just do not wish to talk about it, My Pharaoh. I'm fine…" he whispered.

"You most certainly are not fine, Drake. You've got a huge bruise stained against you face. You didn't get that from walking into a wall. Someone is hurting you and I want to know who it is," I told him. "You aren't eating. You aren't speaking. You aren't doing anything!" Drake flinched back as my voice began to raise. I was not yelling, but he probably interpreted it as anger towards him. It wasn't towards him, it was anger towards whoever was hurting him. "Drake, I want you to tell me. You need to tell me." It was not harsh or mean but it was a command.

"I'm sorry, My Pharaoh but that is… one order I cannot follow… Punish me as you will," he said miserably but he sounded sure of himself.

"Drake… you know I am not going to punish you… But why will you not talk to me?" I asked, my hold loosening some.

He pulled out of my hands, looking me in the eyes. "I just can't…" he whispered, though he sounded hurt. He sounded like he wanted to tell me everything that was going on. Like he wanted to just fall into my arms, come clean and just cry it out.

But something was keeping him from all of that and I _had_ to figure out what that something was.

"I am so sorry, My Pharaoh…" he whispered, a single tear rolling down his cheek before he turned and wrapped his arms around himself before exiting the dining area. I sighed, rubbing my temples as I followed him out. Tommy was standing next to the double doors and, when Drake passed him, he was about to follow, but I reached out, grabbing Tommy's wrist in my hand.

"We need to talk…" I said to him, watching as Drake turned the corner towards his chambers. Tommy looked torn between us but he stayed put. "Tommy, I have no idea what to do anymore… Drake is scaring me to death but I don't know what to do. Tommy please…" I was not too proud to beg. I may have been King of all of Egypt, but I would beg if I had to.

Tommy sighed, leaning against the wall next to me. "I know, My Pharaoh… I have been trying so hard to get him to talk to me. He's been clinging to me a lot because I don't think he wants to be alone. He's terrified of something, being hurt by something and he doesn't want to tell anybody. He's clinging but he won't tell me anything. I have no idea what to do either…" he said, looking away from me. He was disappointed in himself, as I was disappointed with myself.

"We need to figure out what's going on, Tommy. Someone has got him so scared that he won't even talk to the two people who care for him most," I said and Tommy shot me a look that told me he was questioning that statement. He thought I only cared for Drake because of his resemblance to Alexander. I prayed to the Gods that I loved and cared for Drake because of who he was, not who he looked like, but I really wasn't even sure at this point. "We need to do something… We need to fix this…" I whispered, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples again. This was all just so stressful.

"I know, My Pharaoh… I know we need to fix things for Drake but… how?" Tommy asked, looking up at me with wide, chocolate eyes. I sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Drake was worrying me more than anything else in Egypt. When it came to Drake or my entire kingdom, I was more worried about Drake and Egypt was in extremely bad shape.

"Take a walk with me, Tommy," I said, taking my hand in his. He seemed relaxed around me, even after I hit him. Since then, I had not been forceful or cruel to him in any manner and he seemed to relax, though I was sure he was still worried about the whole Drake, Alexander business.

We walked through the corridors, several long minutes of complete silence. "Pharaoh?" Tommy whispered after nothing but our sandals scraping across the stones of the palace floors. I glanced over at him, frowning at the distress on his face.

"Yes?" I asked, looking back in front of me. Seeing the upset and stressful look on Tommy's face was only making my own mood (and my features, I was sure) worse.

"What if… whatever is happening to Drake, really is Brad? We both know that he is super uncomfortable around that man. I know Brad is one of your advisers and you trust him but…" Tommy bit his lip, looking away from me for a moment before looking back at me, his eyes meeting mine. "My Pharaoh, we both know how pretty boys can make even the best people act in the worst ways and there… There is no one prettier than Drake. He's a beautiful boy and look at how everyone in this palace looks at him? A lot of people could… do things to get a hold of Drake the way you have him."

I bit my lip, looking away from Tommy. I really did not want to believe that whatever was happening to Drake was Brad's fault. Brad had been my trusted adviser for years and I considered him one of my very best friends. But Drake was more than a best friend and if Brad was truly hurting Drake, which I did not want to believe, I would choose Drake over him. But then again, why was Brad such a big issue in the first place? I could always tell when Drake was tense around him but… I did not believe there was anything wrong with him.

"Drake is my servant, thus he belongs to me. Anyone to take advantage of him would be out of their mind and severely punished when caught," I said. Yes, I saw how people in the palace looked at Drake. I couldn't blame any of them for gawking for I, myself had done the very same thing when he was presented to me. However, there was a difference between staring and actually acting on the desire Drake's appearance brought on. "But Brad… I know he's tense around Brad, but I do not entirely understand why. I mean, Brad has always been a good person. A little rebellious yes, but he would never go as far as to hurt one of my boys. I do not understand…" I muttered, turning another corner before stopping at my chambers. I pushed the door open, stepping inside and pulling Tommy in with me.

Tommy walked over to my bed and sat on the corner of it. Normally I would have already been stripping the both of us but today was completely different. "My Pharaoh, you know how tense Drake is around Brad… There has to be some reason for it and we know that _someone_ is hurting him. He doesn't seemed to be afraid of anyone else…" Tommy said, looking up at me and staring me in the eyes. He was trying to make a point, and I knew that much but… Brad? No, Brad couldn't possibly be the one hurting my boy. Brad would not defy me like that… He wouldn't.

"But of all people, Brad? Brad is completely harmless and he's a trusted adviser of mine," I said, sounding sure of myself but Tommy had a very legitimate point. I sighed softly, closing my eyes and sitting down next to Tommy. "But you are right… Drake is awfully tense around him…" I paused for a moment. "Do you suspect that …. That Brad is really responsible?" I bit my lip, looking away from the blond. Brad? One of my two most trusted advisers…?

Tommy frowned and I could feel his eyes watching me. "I… I do not know, Pharaoh, but I do think that he has at least something to do with what is going on… I mean, Drake is so scared of him," Tommy said, and his voice started to slip. He sounded almost upset with himself or someone else, I wasn't entirely sure. "Drake told me, the night after our… very intense sex scene, that he was afraid of Brad. I told him that Brad was harmless and a good guy, but now… Now I'm not so sure of that."

I bit my lip, hard. If I kept gnawing on it, I wouldn't have a lip anymore, but it was a hard habit to break. "I do not wish to believe that one of my advisers is making Drake uncomfortable. However… Brad has been acting odd lately…" I stopped, thinking about the passed week and a half. Brad had been offering outrageous solutions for the working problem in Egypt and he had called me out on my boys' services to me. "What exactly did Drake say?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Well, he said something like, ever since the first night he met Brad that, I don't exactly remember but it was like Brad was staring at him like he was a juicy piece of meat. Like he was something to eat and I told him everyone looked at him like that. It just came with how beautiful he was and he told me that even though people stared at him, nobody made him feel as uncomfortable as Brad did…." Tommy said, frowning a little. "He said that when he's with Brad, he feels physically sick and like he cannot breathe…" he added and I wrapped an arm around Tommy's waist. I think he was blaming himself for not listening to Drake when he first talked to him about it and I wanted to comfort him as well as to comfort myself…

All I could do was frown. Tommy was basically telling me that my most trusted advisers was hurting my boy. _Mine._ "Alright, if that's the case… I want you to be with Drake as often as possible," I said, looking him right in the eyes. I wanted no mistake that these were orders. "Take him with you on your errands. Go with him on his. If you feel so inclined, stay in his room at night or take him to yours." Tommy nodded lightly. "I'll keep an eye on Brad during the day. I'll have Cassidy watch him, too. Understood?"

Tommy nodded again. "Yes, My Pharaoh, of course. I won't leave him alone. I'll make sure I'm with him as often as he will allow," he promised me, his eyes never breaking away from mine, showing me his seriousness.

I pressed a gentle kiss into Tommy's hair, cupping his face in my hands. "Good. In a few days, my advisers will be leaving to attend to matters with our neighboring cities and, hopefully, by then, Drake will feel more at ease," I said, praying that once Brad and Cassidy were gone, Drake would relax and open up to us… Well, me actually. I was really hoping that Drake would come to me and not Tommy. I had to be honest, I was jealous of how often Drake was with Tommy and not me…

"Alright," Tommy whispered, smiling softly. "I know things seem bad but maybe when Brad is gone, Drake will open up. Until then, I will be with him," he repeated, giving me a warm smile that surprisingly did make me feel loads better.

"Thank you, Tommy," I whispered, bowing my head lightly and pressing my lips to his. He moaned, molding himself against me. My tongue darted in and out of his mouth, tasting the familiar caverns of the blonde's mouth. Our kiss was passionate but brief and as I pulled away, Tommy whined softly. "I am sorry, but you need to go be with Drake, alright?"

He just nodded again. "Alright, My Pharaoh. I will see you tomorrow," he said, smiling softly and turning towards my chamber's doors. "Good night, Pharaoh."

"Good night, Tommy. Sleep well."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Did you think I wouldn't recognize this compromise?**

 **Tommy's POV**

I went back to my room, stripping of my jewelry and my clothes before slipping into a pair of loose fitting trousers and no shirt. The connecting door between my room and Drake's was open, and I could see him lying on his bed. Pharaoh had pulled him aside to talk after dinner, and, had Pharaoh not stopped me, I would have tried talking to him, too, on our way back. I remember watching him walk down the hall with his arms wrapped around his being. As if he was holding himself together.

I sighed softly, shutting the doors of my wardrobe shut before shuffling into Drake's room. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and a pair of shorts, his back to me as I entered the room. He did not appear to hear my footsteps, or, if he did, he did not acknowledge my presence until I sat down on the edge of the bed. He turned his head, glancing at me before shifting to the other side of the bed. I slipped in beside him, turning him towards me and holding him close. His arms were folded up between our chests.

One arm was tucked around his waist as I lifted the other, running my fingers through the hair on the back of his head. He seemed to relax in my arms as I let his hair slip through my fingertips. He sighed heavily into my neck. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to ask if he was okay, truly. I wanted to comfort him and try to pry the truth from him again, but I knew that it would do me no good in the least. He would shut me out again… Probably tell me to leave.

No. I couldn't go against Pharaoh's wishes. I needed to stay with him as much as I could. Which meant talking to him was out of the question. I bit down on my bottom lip, tilting my head down and kissing his forehead gently. Drake shifted closer, burying his face deep into my chest, his head tucked just under my chin. I let my eyes close, relaxing against him as he began to fall asleep in my arms. I wish I was lucky enough to sleep, but I couldn't.

Eventually, Drake's light snores filled the room. I smiled softly, rubbing his back and inhaling the scent of the shampoo he'd been using. He smelled of vanilla. I inhaled deeply, letting my fingertips slide over his spine through his shirt. They wandered up his back, towards his shoulders, when I felt them. Strange ridges that, I knew, were not there before. I frowned, wanting to turn him over to see, but I couldn't risk waking him up.

Instead, my hand slid down his shirt, slow and steady so that the strange motion wouldn't wake him. Not that it mattered. Drake was still a heavy sleeper. Whereas Pharaoh could gently touch my cheek or something and I would wake, I still had to shake Drake a little to get him to come to. But he was getting better about it, which meant that I needed to be careful.

My fingers pushed his shirt aside and the pads of my fingertips slid up his spine. His skin was warm, smooth to the touch. I let my eyes slip shut as I slid my hand higher up along his spine. I could feel each bone, and, to be honest, it scared me. Drake was thinner now than he was when he was brought here. I inhaled deeply, inching my hand up higher and higher, suddenly fearful of what I would find…

My finger slipped over a ridge of skin that was stiff, rigid. It felt… It felt like a scar. I frowned, swallowing the lump in my throat as I lifted it higher. More ridges, more scars… There were several crossing back and forth. And for where they were on his skin, it felt like they were right over his tattoos. My heart pounded hard in my chest as I felt tears welling in my eyes. Drake… Who's done this to you?

I woke up the next morning with Drake still snuggled against my chest. At some point my hand had slid down and was pressed to his lower back, resting firmly against his skin. I blinked once, tilting my head down and staring at Drake's face. For the first time in little over a week, he looked like he was at peace. My heart skipped a beat in my chest as I pushed his hair out of his face.

His eyelashes were fanned over the tops of his cheeks, his skin looking pale and porcelain-like. His lips were barely parted, his breath ghosting against my neck. I inhaled slowly, trailing my fingers across his cheek as my arm tightened around him. His head rolled and he bumped into my chest. The motion must have startled him because he inhaled sharply, his eyes opening. He glanced around before looking up at me. His eyes softened and he smiled warmly.

"Morning," he whispered. I smiled, feeling a blush run across my face as I bent my head, pressing my lips to his. He moaned, shifting his arms and wrapping them around my neck. I pushed him onto his back, hovering above him as I kissed him deeply. I missed this. I missed kissing him. I missed things being okay. I didn't like him to be so tense, but he just… He was, lately. And he wouldn't tell us why…

I pulled away, breathing hard before pecking his mouth again, "Good morning to you, too, Drake." I said. He smiled brightly, kissing me gently. I moaned, chasing his lips as his fingers tangled into my hair. I groaned as he pulled, my mouth meshing against his. Soft, wet pops and clicks were sounded and the occasional moan as Drake rolled us over, pinning me down.

My heart slammed to the front of my rib cage, beating furiously as his tongue slid between my teeth. I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut as shivers trailed down my spine. Drake had gotten so good at kissing, but there was something else to this kiss.. Something desperate. I moaned, my hands cupping his face as he pulled on my hair again. His teeth hooked around my bottom lip and he sucked on it like a master.

I pulled away, breathing hard and tracing circles into Drake's cheeks. He panted, resting his forehead against mine, his fingers sliding out from my hair. I looked up at him, seeing a blush crossing his face. I smiled, kissing him gently. He looked so much like he had in his first week. So shy, so bashful and yet so willing to do whatever it took to please Our Pharaoh. His tongue tasted the inside of my mouth before pulling up again.

I held him in my arms for a while, lightly kissing his lips and his cheeks now and then. He returned them with such sweetness it felt like there was nothing wrong at all. Like nothing had been bothering him lately. It was nice. So nice, actually. I almost didn't want to get up at all, but I knew that we had some things we needed to do. We had to go to the market, get some more shampoo and soap and pick up some more clothes for Drake. Sure, he'd gotten some, but there were a few more things we needed to get for him.

"We should get going, we've got things to do today." I whispered against his lips. Drake frowned before sitting up so I could get up, too. I pulled myself into a sitting position, leaning over and kissing him again before turning and getting out of bed.

"We?" He asked. I stopped in the arch of the connecting doors, turning back towards him with a soft smile on my face.

"Yes, we. Pharaoh wants us both going together, today." I said, before sighing. "In fact… He wants us to stay together as often as possible… He doesn't want you to get hurt anymore, so he's ordered me to be with you." I told him. I decided to leave out the part that I'd told Pharaoh about his fears for Brad. I knew he didn't want me, originally, to tell Pharaoh, but there were some things I couldn't keep from the Pharaoh…

"Oh," Drake said, a small smile pulling at his lips. He seemed to like the idea of being with me all day, and my heart gave a relieved thump against my chest. "Okay. Just… Let me get dressed…" Drake said. I nodded once, pushing off the wall and walking towards my wardrobe. I heard the connecting doors closing and I frowned, looking back to see Drake disappear from my view. Why would he close them? I've seen him naked before—

The cuts. He doesn't know that I know. Shit. He's trying to hide them from me. I sighed heavily, having half a mind to cross to the doors and rip them open. But I didn't. Instead I went to my wardrobe, pulling it open and pulling out fresh clothes. I stripped out of my trousers from last night, slipping into a pair of clean, light green ones. I pulled on a matching green shirt, letting it hang off of my shoulders.

I grabbed a necklace— a simple gold chain with an elaborately painted Eye of Horus on it— out from the top shelf of my wardrobe, clasping it around my neck and letting it hang against my chest. I crossed to a small vanity table that I had in my room, sitting down in the chair and grabbing for the brush, running it through my hair. I worked out the knots, smoothening it before setting the brush aside and quickly doing my makeup. Nothing extravagant. Thick eyeliner, silvery eye shadow and a touch of red to my lips.

I stood from the vanity, crossing back to the door and knocking gently on it, "Drake? May I come in?" I asked. There was a shuffle.

"Yeah, come in." He said. I pulled the door open to find him sitting at his vanity, brushing out his hair. His makeup was already done. Liner, soft blue shadow and light pink to the lips. He was dressed in a pair of lighter blue trousers that stopped at his knees and a light blue vest that, convenient for him, covered his back and part of his shoulders. The cuts were hidden from sight.

I licked my lips, watching as his hands pulled his hair into the usual lopsided ponytail, his bangs hanging slightly in his face. He turned, catching me staring and he blushed. I chuckled, walking over to him and taking his hand in mine, pulling him to his feet. I brought him close, kissing him gently on the lips. "Come on, let's get going," I whispered. He nodded once, lacing his fingers with mine as I pulled him out of his room.

The walk out of the palace and to the market took nothing more than half an hour or so. The Egyptian sun was burning into our backs, but the day itself was rather nice. There was a pleasant breeze that would gust through now and then, relieving us of the heat. I held Drake's hand, pulling him along through the market. People rarely used cars or taxis to get places. Most biked or walked. But for longer distances, there were shuttles and planes that could be used. Or, like, for the Pharaoh, his advisers, and other members of high society and royalty, there were private jets and cars. But they were rarely used.

I pointed out things to Drake, showing him the differences between vendors and the best prices and best qualities. He seemed so at ease and free here. I wondered if, maybe, part of his problem was being cooped up in the palace. He'd been with me and Pharaoh for nearly a month and a half, and, to my knowledge, had not left it once. I held him close to my body when we would buy linens and clothes. The vendors were all nice, though.

We'd purchased more clothes for Drake, holding all of our things in a shoulder bag I'd snatched from my room before we left. We stopped at a vendor to buy shampoo. Drake immediately went for the vanilla one, like we had at the palace. I smirked, nodding once as we paid for it. Drake slipped it into my bag, taking my hand again as we walked further into the market.

"It's nice to be outside…" Drake commented as we walked amongst the hustle and bustle of people. I smiled over at him.

"Yeah." A thought came to my mind and I looked down at him again, "Would you.. Would you like to see your family? While we're out here?" I asked him. He turned his face to me and his eyes lit up with a kind of joy that I had not seen in a very, very long time from Drake.

"Y-yes," he almost whispered, "If it's not too much trouble?" I laughed, and shook my head, and he smiled more.

"It's not a trouble at all." I told him, pulling him along towards the jewelry section of the market. Drake clung tight to me, fearful of getting lost in the colors and people. I smirked, dragging him down an aisle of stands and stalls. The crowds were thick here, and I held on tight to Drake's hand. I didn't want to lose him through here.

"Stay close to me, Drake." I told him, practically squeezing his hand in mine as I tried to push through a crowd of people. But they would not break. I managed to get through, but Drake was stuck on the other side, and as people shifted, his grip on my hand began to slip.

"Hold on, D—" something pulled him away from me and I lost sight of him in the crowd. I cursed, standing on my tip toes, seeing him in once place before he would vanish. I pushed back through the crowds, but it was no use. He was gone. But it wasn't like he'd accidentally let go of my hand. No.. Someone took him from me.

My heart thrashed in my chest and I pushed people aside, my eyes scanning the market for him. I cursed again and again, one for letting him slip away and two for disobeying Pharaoh's orders, even if by accident. Pharaoh… My eyes widened as I pushed through, making my way out of the market. I began to race across the sands, back towards the palace. If Drake was taken, that means he was in danger. I needed to find Pharaoh. I needed to tell him that he was missing. I needed to tell him of the cuts on his back. And if Brad wasn't with Pharaoh, then I had a damn good idea of who took Drake…


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five: I Might Be Down But I'll Be Standin' Tall Again  
Drake's POV**

Getting out of the palace was nice. I hadn't really realized that I had been cooped up in that place for nearly two months and spending the day with Tommy was fantastic. I knew that Pharaoh was, more or less, having Tommy baby sit me, but I wasn't really complaining. If Tommy was with me, Brad couldn't dream of touching me and, if we spent enough time together until Brad and Cassidy left then maybe, just maybe, I could get off without him touching me again.

Being outside and really feeling the sun made me feel like a brand new person and, as Tommy and I explored the Bizarre, I felt more relaxed and happy than I had since that night with Pharaoh and Tommy, right after Brad and Cassidy had come to stay at the palace. Being out here with Tommy made me almost forget about my troubles and I could never thank him enough for that.

"Would you like to see your family? While we're out here?" Tommy asked. From what I understood, Pharaoh wanted to spend the night with us tonight. If that was to actually become intimate or just to keep an eye on me, I was not sure, but I was praying that whichever Pharaoh wanted, he did not find the scars on my back. However, Pharaoh would be late tonight considering he was dealing with a lot of issues currently and in being late, Tommy and I had a lot of time to kill before we were needed.

The idea of seeing my family made my heart swell. Maybe, if I saw them all alive and doing well, I would feel a bit better. "Y-yes," I whispered, feeling my mouth going a little dry. I licked my lips to moisten them before continuing. "If it isn't too much trouble."

He shook his head at me, as he often did to show his wisdom and he laughed. "It's not a trouble at all," he said, his grip tightening on my hand as he pulled me through the market place. There was a large crowd out today and I honestly could not believe how many people were shopping. Wasn't Egypt in an economic plummet right now? Where were people getting the money to shop like the world was ending?

The crowd got really thick and Tommy's hand squeezed mine, but people were pushing between us and I was losing my hold on him. He started to push back towards me and I thought everything would be fine, that he would be with me again in a few seconds, but then slim fingers curled around my free wrist and it yanks me back, forcing me to let go of Tommy.

"If you even think about screaming, you worthless Cunt, I will make you wish you were never born," Brad hissed into my earlobe and he started pulling me in the opposite direction of Tommy. He was also not taking me towards the palace and I couldn't understand where he was taking me, but it did not matter. I knew what awaited me wherever we were going. The location did not matter.

This time was different. This time, I did not say anything. I did not beg him not to touch me. I did not beg for him to leave me be. Begging only resulted in more pain. Did police not tell people that the best way to handle a situation like this, should you unfortunately fall into one, is to simply not fight back? If you do not fight, you might escape with your life? Or some bullshit like that.

"I told you that not even Our Pharaoh could protect you Drake," Brad whispered, shoving me into what looked like an old vender's shop. It also did not appear to be in use. Nobody would come in here and it was a good distance away from the market place, so nobody would even be enticed to come here. That was probably why this place was no longer in business anyway: It was too far from the market. "He's trying, but I trust you have been a good little whore and that you have not told anyone, right?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

He shoved me back into the wall directly across from the door and a whimper fell from my lips as I collided with it. "Answer me, you bitch," he growled, walking over to me, knife visibly in hand now. "Have you told anyone?"

"N-no…" I whispered, looking down at the ground.

Brad reached out, delicately cupping my cheek in one hand. "No, what?" he asked, holding his knife to the other side of my face. The side that he had repeatedly slapped during our last encounter. "You will find that life is very hard for an ugly boy," he whispered, tapping the blade against my cheek. I understood. He was threatening to ruin my face with the knife but could he really do that? Sure, he had hurt me more than anyone else in my life had yet… But, if he marked my face, someone would definitely see.

Pharaoh would see and he would do whatever it took to punish the man who ruined his boy's face.

Logic told me that Brad was bluffing about destroying my face, but I would not push any boundaries with this man. He terrified me in ways I have never even though possible. "No, I didn't tell anybody, Sir…" I whispered, trying to sound a little stronger than I felt. It wasn't working though.

He smiled, dropping his knife from my face. "Good, then we can proceed," he whispered. He did not put the knife away, but it was no longer pressing into my cheek and therefore not an immediate threat. I was much more worried about what he might do to me with his penis…

His lips covered mine, and much like last time, his tongue shoved its way down my throat. I fought back the moan that wanted to rip out of my throat. I did not want Brad to think I enjoyed what he had done to me before or what he was doing now because I _hated_ every minute of it. I could not remember one thing in my life that felt worse than what Brad had done to me just four days ago.

Actually, that wasn't exactly true. One thing was worse… The day my father told me he hated me and that I was never going to be his son because I was a failure. That was probably the only time I ever felt worse but that was for a completely different reason.

"Get on your knees, bitch," he demanded and, like the good whore he wanted me to be, I lowered myself to my knees. He smirked down at me, the devil's grin spreading across his face as he twisted the fingers of his left hand into my hair, pushing my face against his full erection. He was still wearing his trousers, but I could feel the stiffness easily. It was a little too hard to miss…

He moaned at the friction of my cheek pressed into the fabric of his trousers. "Take them off, bitch," he hissed. I did not need him to elaborate. I knew he wanted me to undress him and, for a moment, I just sat there. I did not move a muscle until his hand yanked at my hair, tearing a cry of pain from my lips.

Slowly, I lifted my hands to the waistband of his trousers, slowly pulling the buttons in the front open. He groaned as I slowly pulled the fabric down his hips and thighs, painfully slow for him, I imagined. I momentarily thought about some sort of assault, but quickly decided against it. If I retaliated, he would kill my family. I did not doubt that in the slightest…

Once the fabric was low enough, the completely fell to the floor and Brad stepped out of them, kicking the to the side. "You really are such a pretty whore, Drake. It's a shame, really. A boy as pretty as you shouldn't have to beg for sex," he said, sounding understanding and compassionate but all I heard was venom. Every word was stabbing my eardrums as if I would never hear again.

His fingers tightened in my hair again, pulling hard. My mouth fell open in a gasp and he took that as an invitation to shove his member into my mouth. He forced me to take all of him despite the fact that I simply couldn't. I was not longer a virgin, but my throat still was, by far and I thought I might suffocate and die. I forgot, for a first few moments, that I could breathe through my nose.

He fucked my mouth relentlessly and the moans that were falling from his lips disgusted me. I hoped that he would not come undone in my mouth. As unpleasant as having him coming into my body was, I would prefer that that in my throat. I did not want to taste a billion seeds of Brad running down my throat.

"Fuck, you are a great whore…" he hissed, shoving his erection into my mouth and down my throat one last time before pulling back. He still had the knife clenched in his right hand, but he seemed so caught up in fucking my mouth that he had momentarily forgotten about it.

Kneeling down in front of me, he kissed me hard again and when he pulled back, a band of salvia connected our lips. He smirked at me, his eyes devious and full of lust. "Your lips are much more appealing when they are swollen like this," he commented, kissing me again before pulling back. "Lean against the wall, _now_."

I simply bit my lip as I pressed my back into the wall Brad had shoved me into earlier. There was still the urge to fight him. To run and get help, but I knew I could not. I could not risk my family's safety just to protect myself. That was selfish… "Good, good. This is going much better than last time, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, his fingers beginning to strip me of my clothing. He was good at it, almost as quick as Pharaoh himself. He smirked once I was naked, pushing my knees up to my chest and away from each other, leaving me completely exposed to him. He set the knife down on the floor as he sat direction in front of me.

His eyes connected with mine as if he was waiting for me to say something but I said nothing at all. He scowled at me and his right hand went directly back to the knife. "I asked you a question and when you are spoken to, I expect an answer, you bitch," he hissed, slashing the blade of his knife across the inside of my left thigh. I cried out, squeezing my eyes shut as he brought the knife down again. "I'll ask you again, don't you think this is, somewhat, going better than our previous engagement?" he asked.

"Y-yes…" I whimpered and he brought the knife across my other thigh, leaving blood running down both thighs. I choked on a sob. "Yes sir!" I cried out, turning my head away from him, my cheek pressing into the wall.

"Much better," he hissed as he carved the knife into my thigh one more time. "Now then, if you are good for the rest of our time together, I won't cut you anymore, understood?" he whispered and he pressed himself right up against me. This was so much worse than last time. At least then I wasn't facing him. I didn't have to watch him as he raped me. I didn't have to see the sick pleasure in his eyes and the satisfaction he'll have if he got me to come undone again.

"Yes sir…" I whispered again, keeping my eyes closed shut. I did not want to watch this. I did not want to see how truly sick and twisted this man was. How had Pharaoh ever trusted someone like him? How could Pharaoh ever see any amount of good in the man?

Again Brad set the knife down on the floor, the blade scraping gently against the stone and before I could even register what was happening, Brad was taking my calves into his hands and he forced them up into the air, resting them against his shoulders. The angle let my entrance completely open for him and it was a painful position but I was flexible enough for it…

"Just like a whore," he muttered and then I felt him inside of me, pushing into me as if I was made for nothing besides satisfying people's sexual desires. Maybe that was all I really was good for… No! I could not start thinking like that. It did not matter what Brad said, I was not a whore…

This time was just as painful as before but the pain did not last nearly as long. His trusts, if anything, were harder and because of the angle, deeper. I cried out, nearly screaming as his hips connected painfully with my thighs. I didn't think. I could barely even breathe with my thighs pressed into my chest they way they were. One of his hands was curled around my hip, holding it tightly with his nailed digging into the flesh. His other arm was wrapped around one of my thighs, his hands pressed to the inside and he continued to claw one of the cuts he had made open.

I choked again, this time on a sob. Everything hurt and tears were streaming down my face but, while powerful, his thrusts were beginning to not hurt as much. His hips continued to connect with mine roughly but he was hitting that spot inside of me that just drove me crazy and I could feel my half hard erection curling up onto my stomach in complete hardness.

My eyes had been squeezed shut the entire time, the only sounds were Brad's moaning, my occasional slipped moan, and my screaming but then Brad spoke again. "You just pretend to hate what I'm giving you, don't you, filthy slut?" he growled, his hips shoving into my again for what seemed like the trillionth time. Surely this had been going on for days upon days because that is what it felt like.

New tears pooled in my tear ducts before flowing freely down my cheeks. "You're pathetic. You just want to hate this so Pharaoh isn't angry with you, but I'd say that erection curving against your stomach says it all." He laughed. He fucking laughed as I cried out at a particularly painful thrust. Rah, please make it stop… Please…

"You'll come undone a second time, just for me," he whispered and I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. His thrusts became more and more forceful and less in rhythm. I knew Brad was nearing his end and, just as before, I wished I could have poofed to dust because I did not want to feel him coming undone inside of me again.

"How many boys have you fucked before Pharaoh, Drake?" he asked and I was sure that by how painful his thrusts were becoming again that he was drawing blood. I screamed, tightening around him and he gasped, shoving up into that spot again.

Stars danced behind my eyelids and I knew that I would come apart soon, but I did not want to. Not for Brad… Not for him… "None…" I whispered, choking on a sob. He slapped me across the face.

"Liar. A pretty little slut like you didn't just turn into one over night. Our Pharaoh didn't simply fuck you once and that turned you into a whore," he spat in my face and his nails dug into my thigh and hip as his member pressed into that spot again. I cried out, feeling the slightest twitch in my erection before I came, splattering both myself and Brad with warm, gooey liquid. Not a moment later did he release into me.

For the second time that week, I truly felt like the whore Brad made me out to be. He pulled out and my legs fell away from my chest. Brad simply pulled his clothing back on and he pressed a kiss into my sweaty hairline before he left the building, leaving me alone with nothing but my tears. I could feel his seed running down my thighs for the second time and again, I felt filthy. If there had been any doubt in my mind before, I was now positive that Pharaoh would never want me again.

I curled into the tightest of balls on the floor and just sobbed until my tears ran dry. It was starting to grow dark and I knew I needed to be back at the palace soon. Pharaoh was still expecting Tommy and I in his room tonight and I could not even imagine what would happen if I wasn't there… So I forced myself out of my ball and I started to get dressed slowly. How was I going to hide the cuts on my thighs from Pharaoh if he wanted to make love with me tonight? How could I even let him touch me after what Brad had just done…?

All these thoughts were buzzing around my brain as I pulled myself back towards the palace. Not many people were out anymore and I wondered just how late it was. I needed to get back… I had to wash up and find a way to hid these cuts…

Walking back to the palace alone seemed like a much longer journey than coming out to the market and once I was inside, I made it my main goal to get to my washroom. Thankfully everyone seemed to be a dinner, so I slipped through the corridors unnoticed. I wondered what Tommy had done when he lost me in the market and I hoped that he wasn't in the bathroom getting ready himself.

To my relief, he wasn't there and he did not show up as I washed myself thoroughly, making sure that I scrubbed away every essence of Brad there was on me _and_ in me. I felt so disgusting but I couldn't let that stop me from getting ready for Pharaoh. I excessively washed myself, as if washing myself was going to erase what Brad had done to me not even an hour ago… That didn't work but at least I had managed to get myself clean.

I wrapped myself up into a towel and grabbed my dirty clothes before crossing the hall towards my bedroom. Before I did anything, I hid my dirty clothes so nobody would fine them and then I sat at my vanity, drying my hair as best I could before pulling it up into a lopsided pony tail. I did my make up the same way I had for the market place but I still had the problem of hiding the cuts on my thighs…

The best I could do for that was to cover them up with concealer. It worked well, but if Pharaoh started rubbing up against my legs, it wouldn't last very long… Once the concealer dried some, I pulled on a pair of shorts that I knew made my ass look fantastic, though I really was not feeling so fantastic… I also pulled on a light weight shirt. It didn't cover much, but it did cover the tattoos, which meant it covered the scars Brad had left there.

Lastly I pulled on my sandals and I knew there was no more avoiding it. I slowly left my room, making my way rigidly to Pharaoh's chambers. When I arrived, I pulled the door open slowly and I slipped inside, praying that Pharaoh was not waiting there angrily. The only person in the room was Tommy, no doubt waiting for Pharaoh.

"Drake?" he exclaimed, jumping from the bed and running over to me. "Thank Rah… I've been looking for you everywhere. I went to tell Pharaoh you were gone but I could not find him so I thought my best bet was to wait here for him so I could talk to him but thank Rah you are safe!" He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

Oh Tommy, I was nothing close to safe…


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Take shelter and hide forever, your soul will be okay…**

 **Adam's POV**

Keeping an eye on Brad was harder than I thought, considering he slipped off without my noticing during a lunch break. I tried not to let it bother me. Besides, I'd instructed Tommy to be with Drake at all times until Brad and Cassidy left. There should've been no issue with letting Brad run off.

Though, there was a nagging in the pit of my stomach that clung with me all day. That something wasn't right, even after Brad came back. He'd been gone barely an hour. But, if he truly was responsible for Drake's silence, then an hour was all he needed. I inhaled slowly, trying to shake the idea that _Brad_ had done something to my boy. I didn't want to believe. I really didn't. But Tommy's words and Drake's actions were piling higher and higher against Brad…

Rah. On top of trying to save Egypt from an economic downfall, I was struggling with keeping my boys safe and trying to figure out my own heart. I wanted to believe that I cared for Drake and loved him for who he was and not for who he appeared to be. I had accepted that Alexander was dead and that he was never coming back. But could I be blamed for my emotions when Drake looked so much like him?

 _Stop it, Adam_. I told myself. _Stop thinking that Drake is Alexander. He's not. Remember that Drake is himself. Alexander would want you to love him for him…_ I inhaled shakily, licking my lips as I walked down the hallway, towards my chambers. Dinner had been uneventful, to say the least. Neither Tommy nor Drake had been there at all. And yet, Brad was also there with us. So he wasn't with Drake. At least, not through dinner. But then I would think about the hour that he went missing, and for the fact that Drake wasn't at dinner…

I sighed heavily, walking down the hallway. My chamber doors were nearing in sight, and I could feel my heart pounding. What if Drake didn't show up for tonight, either? What if he went missing? And why wasn't Tommy at dinner? Had something happened? Or were they just out with their own affairs and lost track of time? _Stop. It. Adam._ Right. I needed to stop worrying. But if Drake wasn't there, then I could start worrying again.

I bit down on my bottom lip, reaching out and gripping the handle. My heart was pounding in my chest and I closed my eyes for a moment. _Just breathe, Adam. Breathe. He will be there. He will._ I opened my eyes again, pulling on the handle and pulling the door open. I stepped inside, bringing it shut before turning, my eyes adjusting to the difference in lighting of the room.

There they both were, on the bed together. Tommy was holding Drake in his arms, running gentle fingers through his hair. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling my heart melting at the sight as I crossed down to them, my sandals scuffing against the stone steps. They looked over to me, and my heart clenched. Drake looked… miserable. I couldn't quite describe it, but he was obviously shaken by something. Had something happened, again, today?

"Boys?" I called out to them. They smiled at me, however weak it might've been from their parts. I kicked my sandals off, climbing onto the bed to join them. Drake was stiff in Tommy's arms, looking like he wanted to cry. My heart skipped and I felt it cracking, wanting to break apart into a thousand, tiny pieces. "Drake?" I whispered, reaching out and touching his face with my fingertips. He whimpered, leaning into it.

"What happened?" I asked him. But he shook his head. He still would not speak. But I knew that something had happened to him today. His absence at dinner. Had the assault happened then? Or was it before, and he was too ashamed to come to dinner? My heart clenched and I swallowed a lump from my throat, caressing his cheek tenderly. "My boy, please…" I begged, but still, he shook his head.

"He still won't speak," Tommy said, low and under his breath. I looked over at him, staring him in the eye before looking down at Drake. His eyes were distant, sullen and lost. I licked my lips, shifting and cupping his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. But he didn't, truly. He looked through me. Like I wasn't even there, anymore.

"Drake.. Baby…" I whispered, caressing his cheek with my thumb before I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. He whimpered, moaning softly and reaching forward, threading his fingers into my hair. I kissed him hard, feeling his tears sliding over my fingers and hands. I choked on a soft sob, leaning my forehead against his. Tommy tilted his head, leaving a gentle kiss on Drake's cheek as we just cuddled together. Tommy's arms were locked around Drake's waist and I kept tracing circles into his cheeks.

I wanted so badly to understand what had made him so withdrawn, but he wouldn't tell me. He wouldn't tell Tommy. But we could see it in his eyes. He wanted to. He wanted to like it was the last thing he would ever do. Like his life depended on it. But he would never say it. And what made my heart hurt the most was not the pain he was suffering, it was his silence. The fact that I couldn't help him. The fact that I was breaking the promises I'd tattooed into his flesh…

I dipped my head in, kissing him again as my hands dropped to his shoulders, sliding down his arms and resting on the tops of his thighs. I slipped my tongue between his teeth, shivering as he moaned and my left hand wandered. It slid down along his thigh to his knee, before crawling back up to his groin. I tilted my head, angling the kiss as my fingers slid down to the inside of his thigh, and—

Drake pulled back and cried out, twitching his leg from my grasp. I frowned, staring with wide eyes at him as he panted, curling away from my touch. I gasped, looking over at Tommy, who was also staring wide eyed at Drake. But the youth didn't move for a moment. In fact, he looked frustrated. But with who? Us? Himself? I reached forward, caressing his cheek.

"Baby?" His face was twisted with so many conflicting emotions. He looked like he wanted to forget it and lean into my touch. But he looked like he wanted to pull away and speak. "Baby, please!" I begged, my voice raising a little in volume. Drake gasped, staring at me as tears rolled down his cheeks. I whispered another soft "please", and his eyes slid shut as he bit down on his bottom lip.

"My thigh.." He whispered, like it was a sin to do so. I frowned, glancing at Tommy. The blond swallowed, but didn't speak as he glanced down to Drake's legs. I licked my lips, reaching forward and grabbing the hem of Drake's shorts, pulling them up as slowly and gently as possible. Drake whimpered, shaking with tears as I saw red patches in his skin. At first, I thought it might've been a heat rash, but as I pulled more away, I saw thin, angry lines of red, and those "heat" rash patches… They were patches of dried blood.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized I was staring at fresh cuts, nestled into the baby fat of Drake's inner thighs. Tommy's eyes went wide as he stared, holding a whimpering Drake in his arms. Drake's face was buried in his hands and he was weeping. I bit down on my lip, lifting the other leg and seeing the same cuts on the opposite thigh. I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my jaw as I looked away. I wanted to be sick.

"Rah… Drake…" I winced, swallowing an aching lump. "Tell me…" I turned my head, staring him down. "Tell me who did this to you." I hissed. I was not angry with him. I was angry at the man who did this to him. I was angry at the person who would dare touch my boy… Dare to mark him in such a way. But there was a nagging voice that whispered in the back of my mind, telling me I knew _exactly_ who did it… And, being the nicer person, the one who saw good in everyone, didn't want to believe that voice.

"Brad." Drake whispered, again, as if it were sin. I choked on a scream, tearing fingers through my hair as I shot off of the bed. I paced, tears stinging at my eyes as I felt my heart begin to break. No… Not Brad… Anyone but Brad, please, Rah… Fuck! Drake…

My shoulders trembled with sobs and with rage, and my heart was conflicted between returning to the bed to hold Drake or to storm out of the room and hunt that son of a bitch down… I inhaled slowly, crying out as my hands curled into fists. I was going to make him pay… I turned, seeing Drake staring at me with wide eyes, tears cascading down his cheeks. I gasped, rushing back to the bed, my hands cupping his face.

"Tell me, Drake," I commanded, "What else did he do to you?" My voice was low, cold and unfeeling. But I could sense that Drake was not afraid of me. He was still afraid of Brad. But for what reason? Why? I watched him as his fear began to break away and the tears fell faster, thicker almost. He choked on a breath, sobbing into Tommy's arms. His words were jumbled, but there were some that stood out…

"He… He said I was pretty… Called me a whore.. Touched m-me… Kissed me.. He.. He raped me i-in front of th-the statue.." My eyes went wide and I forgot to breathe. Brad violated my boy… In front of Alexander?! "He.. Threatened my family… Cut me.. I-I'm sorry, Adam… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" Drake wept, but I barely registered that he'd said my name. My eyes were distant and I stared at the blankets on the bed, soaking in what he'd said to me.

"He raped you, again, today? Didn't he?" I asked, my voice soft, almost a whisper. Drake nodded, continuing to cry in Tommy's arms. The blond held tight to him, rocking him back and forth, stroking his hair and pressing comforting kisses into his skin. I couldn't even feel my heart beating. Why Brad? Why do this? Why do this to Drake? To me? To Alexander? I closed my eyes, licking my lips, shaking.

"Did he cut you anywhere else?" I questioned. Drake trembled in Tommy's arms before he nodded once. I turned, looking at him. "Show me." I whispered. Drake's body shook violently with a sob, but he didn't move.

" _Show me!_ " I shouted.

I was not angry at him. I was angry at Brad. No, I was _enraged_ with Brad. But Drake's eyes went wide and his voice went silent. But his shaking fingers fumbled with his shirt, and he slowly peeled it off, turning in Tommy's arms to expose his back to me. I stared, breathless. Thin, recently healed scars slashed across the wings, the Eye and all the promises I made. Promises that were broken, now. Trust that had been shattered. I reached out, mindlessly touching them, feeling the scars that ruined my boy. My Drake.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so s-sorry…" Drake cried, and Tommy pulled him closer into his arms. I stared at Drake's back, feeling the rage coiling around my heart, burning it, killing all love and trust I had in Brad. Killing all faith in myself… I'd let Drake down. I'd let him down when he needed me the most. I could never forgive myself for that…

I launched off of the bed, disregarding my sandals or a shirt. Tommy called after me, begging to know where I was going. I ordered Tommy to stay with Drake and not to leave my chamber until I returned. I shoved the door open, stepping out and slamming it shut as I stalked down the hall. My mind was on overdrive and all I could see were the scars on Drake's back, forever engraved.

I growled, turning the corner, " _BRAD!_ " I screamed into the emptiness. There was only the echo of my voice filtering down the hallway. I raced down, my bare feet slapping the stone as I turned another corner. Brad took a step out from his chamber, his head turned away from me until I came up to his side. When his eyes locked on mine, they went wide. I could see my reflection through his pupils— my eyes were black with rage.

I grabbed him by the throat, squeezing hard as I shoved him in the stone work of the wall. He gasped, clawing at my wrist before I threw him down onto the ground. His back bounced and he wheezed, crying to catch his breath as he gingerly touched his throat. "I'm going to _fucking kill you!_ " I shouted, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and hauling him to his feet, slamming him back into the wall where he'd just been.

"M-My Pharaoh?!" He wheezed. Oh, Brad, don't play dumb, you fucker.

"Who the _fuck_ do you _think you are,_ Brad?! How _dare_ you _touch_ Drake in that fashion! How _dare_ you _take_ from me what is _mine!_ How _dare_ you _betray me!_ " I shouted, my face inches from his. I watched his eyes dawn with a brief recognition, flashing with rage before clearing and appearing innocent again. You're too late, you useless motherfucker. I've seen it all, Brad. You're guilty as charged.

"My Pharaoh, I know not of what you—" Brad began to say, but I backhanded him as hard as I could across the face, sending him to the floor. Unlike Tommy, I had no regret for hitting Brad. I was going to do a lot more than bruise his pretty face tonight.

"Drake told me _everything_ , Brad! The _touching_ , the _kissing_ , the _cutting_ , the _rape!_ " I hissed. Cassidy was standing in the doorway of Brad's chamber, silent. He had a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide as he stared down at Brad. "You _violated_ him in front of Alexander's statue! You _marked_ his inking and you _damaged that boy's soul!_ " I screamed, reaching down and grabbing him by the throat. But I did not pull him up. I knelt down beside him, my breath fanning across his face as I spoke.

"You will pay for your crimes, Brad. You will be executed for the violation of one of my servants, the betrayal of my trust, and for your _pathetic_ , _repulsive_ , _waste_ of an _existence_." I hissed, spitting in his eye and punching him in the nose. Brad's hands flew to his face, holding it gingerly as he screamed into his palms. I grabbed his wrists, punching him, again, though, this time, in the mouth as I heard footsteps. I glanced up, seeing palace guards rushing around the corner. I stood, leaving Brad to curl up into his ball of self-pity.

"See to it that Bradley is locked in isolation. Make sure the big boys have a some playtime with their new toy, tonight," I told them in a hiss, wanting so badly to tear Brad limb from limb until he felt the pain Drake had suffered. The front guard nodded once, walking over and grabbing Brad by the arm. Brad struggled to break free, but it was useless. Another two guards took hold of him and he was dragged off, kicking and screaming at me the entire time until he disappeared around a corner.

I let out a heavy breath, exhaustion washing over me as the adrenaline and rage began to leave my body. My knees trembled and I fell, Cassidy barely reaching my side before I collapsed completely to the stone. He was thin, but his muscles were toned, and he at least lessened my velocity enough that I did not fall too hard. I landed on my knees, resting my head against Cassidy's shoulder. The brunette rubbed my back, running fingers through my hair as I began to cry.

"My Pharaoh?" He whispered, wiping away at my tears. I shook my head, sniffing.

"I… I should have seen it… He was so tense around Brad… Then he stopped speaking, stopped eating.. He stopped… He stopped living, Cassidy.. He was there but.. not." I whispered, shaking with sobs as Cassidy pulled me into a tight hug. His whispered to me, trying to soothe me.

"Baby, you didn't know there was anything wrong.. We've known Brad for years, we… We would never have seen something like that coming.." He said, wiping away at more of my tears, but they kept coming. They kept pouring and I couldn't stop shaking and all I could think of was that I failed..

"Adam, you're not a failure," I frowned, looking up at him before realizing I'd said my thought out loud. I did not mean for it to be heard, though, "You didn't know. You tried protecting him the best way you could, baby. He won't be upset with you." Cassidy said. I dropped my head, looking away from him. I wanted to believe his words, but I couldn't find the will to. I had failed. I failed Drake. I let him down. I couldn't protect him.

I sat there, crying in Cassidy's arms for only Rah knew how long before he pulled me to my feet, walking with me back to my chamber. I wasn't sure that I wanted to be in the same room with Drake. How could I face him knowing I'd let him down? How could he ever want my affection when I couldn't save him? But I didn't voice any of this to Cassidy. I kept my mouth shut as we walked, reaching my chamber all too soon.

"This is where I'll leave you," Cassidy whispered, pressing a kiss to my lips. "Go be with him. He needs you, Adam." I nodded once, turning and grabbing the handle. I inhaled slowly, pulling it open and slipping inside as Cassidy headed back to his chamber.

Tommy and Drake were still on the bed, still holding each other. But Drake had stopped crying. They both looked over at me as I slumped against the door, breathing hard. They were quiet, waiting for me until I pushed off the door, walking down the steps towards them. My body felt like dead weight, and it was a wondering I was walking at all, what with exhaustion beginning to eat away at my consciousness. I leaned forward, crawling up onto the bed. To my surprise, Drake pulled out of Tommy's hold and sat up on his knees, wrapping his arms around my neck and shoulders, his cheek pressed to mine as his fingers tangled into my hair.

I choked of a soft sob, curling an arm around his waist, my other arm snaking up his back, my fingers digging into the hair on the back of his head. I held him close to me, wanting to tell him that everything was going to be okay. But something told me he already knew.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: It's the Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful People They Flaunt  
Tommy's POV**

Seeing those cuts on Drake's thighs was like a giant slap in the face. I knew Brad was hurting him! I knew it but I couldn't do anything to help because he wouldn't talk to anyone about what was going on. Now that Pharaoh and I had seen the cuts, he told us everything and I never imagined that things could actually have been so bad. Brad was a lot of things, but a _rapist_? That was… extreme.

When Drake showed Pharaoh his back, I don't believe I'd ever seen the king angrier. Flames danced in his near-black eyes and I knew he was going to tear Brad apart. I knew that Brad was going to suffer for everything he did to Drake and I was happy about that. No, happy wasn't even the right word. I was ecstatic to see the man who hurt someone I cared so deeply about pay for what he had done.

Neither Drake nor myself tried to stop Pharaoh when he stormed out of the room, no doubt to rip Brad's head off. Drake was still curled into my arms and I held him there tightly, pressing gentle kisses into his hair. His tears were soaking through my shirt but I didn't mind it. It was better to just let everything out instead of bottling it up inside. That's how a dam worked, allowing what needed to be let out over the top but keeping everything else inside so no harm would come to the people that lived near it.

One thing that was bothering me a lot, aside from finding out that Drake was raped twice was that Drake kept apologizing, like he'd gotten down on his knees for Brad. As if he had begged Brad to touch him, to violate him. I do not care who you are, nobody asks to be raped and I knew that Drake would never just give himself to Brad. He hated Brad since the day he arrived at the palace.

"Baby, stop apologizing alright?" I whispered after Adam had been gone for several minutes. "Do not apologize for something that is not your fault. Pharaoh and I… we should have seen this coming. We should have known what was going on but we just couldn't believe Brad would really do something so awful to you…"

Drake looked up at me and I, once again, wiped tears off of his cheeks. "I do not blame you or Pharaoh for what Brad did…" he mumbled, staring me in the eye. His blue eyes were driving hammers into my soul and I felt my heart swelling just by looking at this youth. Rah, even after being raped twice he was still so perfect… "And I do not wish for you to blame yourself. Brad had… everybody fooled with his charming, innocent smile."

"If we are not allowed to blame ourselves for our foolishness, then you cannot blame yourself for doing nothing wrong. You did not ask for Brad to hurt you like that…" I said, running my fingers gently through his hair, pulling it out of it's lopsided pony tail. I knew he didn't favor having it down but Pharaoh and I were both fond of the chocolate locks.

"But I should have spoken up sooner… I should have told you both…" he muttered, sounding displeased with him. I supposed I really could not blame him for feeling horrible for not talking sooner. But then again, he did believe that Brad would hurt his family… "I should not have made you both worry so much."

"Drake, love, you were trying to protect your family. As the man of your family, you could not justify putting their lives in danger. Pharaoh and I both understand your drive to keep them safe. Pharaoh felt the same when his younger brother and mother were alive. I used to feel that towards my family before they shunned me," I murmured into the boy's hair and I pressed gentle kisses to it. Drake and I, over the time he was here, had gotten very close. We told each other almost everything and we had no secrets. Well, other than the one Drake just told us, anyway.

He nuzzled his face into my neck, kissing it gently. I couldn't fight the moan, but there was absolutely nothing sexual about the kiss. It was just warm and comforting. "I couldn't stand to think that my family would die simply to end my suffering…" he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and looking up at me. He seemed happy despite what Brad had done to him earlier today. He was finally at peace because he knew that Pharaoh would deal with Brad and that he could finally start putting all of this behind him.

"It's going to be okay now, Baby. Pharaoh will make sure Brad is severely punished and things will start falling back into place," I assured him, running my hands up and down his arms slowly. His tears had finally stopped and he even smiled just a little at me. Even though Brad would not ever hurt him again, I wondered if he would ever be able to serve Pharaoh the way he was intended to again. I had never experienced rape and I could not be sure if Drake would be able to make the distinction between what Brad had done _to_ him and what Pharaoh and I did _with_ him.

"I know it will be," he said softly, though I sensed some underlying fears in his tone. What was he still afraid of? Brad? Surely not. Brad would be locked up, never able to touch him again.

"Baby?" I asked, cupping his face in my hands again. His eyes met mine and he pursed his lips just enough to tell me I could continue without he verbally addressing me. "Are you still afraid? Because you know Pharaoh will protect you now that he knows what is happening," I muttered, trying to reassure Drake as much as I could.

His eyes left mine and he was silent for several long moments. "I… I will always be a little afraid of Brad, even when I know that fear is irrational but that is… not what I am worried about now…" he whispered, still refusing to look at me.

"Then what troubles you?" I asked, worried about the boy. He'd already been through so much. What else was there to fear?

Drake fell silent again and he slowly looked back at me. I could see agony filling his eyes and something told me it had nothing to do with Brad, or, at least, very little to do with that man. "Will Pharaoh no longer desire my being in his bed?" he whispered. Only Drake could make a statement like that sound so innocent. My heart melted and I realized that, truly, he feared losing Pharaoh's affections. "Now that someone else has touched me?"

"Drake…" I whispered, drawing soft circles into his cheeks to comfort him. Still I was more worried about the whole Drake, Alexander turmoil the Pharaoh was dealing with far more than this. Honestly, I'd never even considered something like Pharaoh no longer wishing to touch Drake. I didn't think that Pharaoh would ever feel that way, even if Brad had touched Drake in ways he never should have. "Baby, Pharaoh will not throw away his beautiful boy because some sick fuck decided to take advantage of him. As long as you still want to please him, he will have you. I am sure of that."

Drake simply smiled, though it was forced. He leaned into me again, his arms wrapping around me and I figured that our conversation was over for the time being. That was fine with me. I was perfectly content to lay here and hold this beautiful, perfect boy in my arms. Recovering would be hard for him, I knew, but he could do it. I believed Drake was stronger than what people gave him credit for.

It seemed like an eternity that I just simply held this perfect boy in my arms, but when Pharaoh came into the room, Drake pulled away from me and he hugged Pharaoh tightly, silently thanking him for obviously taking care of Brad. Pharaoh wrapped his arms around Drake, one hand going up to tangle into the brown locks and he kissed the boy gently. I could hear Drake's gentle moans and the wet clickings and poppings of tongues running over each other and when they broke apart there was a familiar red glow lighting up Drake's cheeks.

Pharaoh chuckled softly, laying back into the sea of pillows and he pulled Drake down with him. He was nestled up to Pharaoh, his arms wrapped around the bigger man. I just smiled, wrapping my arms around Drake's waist from behind and I sandwiched him between us. "Drake, honey, you have to promise us something," Pharaoh said after a few minutes of the three of us simply cuddling.

Drake blinked, looking up at Pharaoh with wide, curious eyes. "And that would be?" he asked softly.

"Well, two things actually," Pharaoh began, petting Drake's hair like he really was the kitty Pharaoh always claimed he was. "One, if someone ever tries to hurt you again, you come and tell me and Tommy, alright?" he asked and Drake just nodded. Pharaoh smiled slightly, though I could tell that he was feeling awful for letting this happen to Drake. "And you also have to start eating again. You are getting way too skinny and it worries me," he added, pressing a kiss to Drake's forehead.

Drake blushed softly and he looked away from Pharaoh, probably not wanting to see false disappointed. Pharaoh was not, in the slightest, disappointed in Drake but he probably believed that Pharaoh was. "I am sorry… I just… couldn't keep anything down…" he whispered and Pharaoh shook his head, pressing another kiss to Drake's forehead.

"Baby, I'm not angry with you. I understand. You did nothing wrong, I just don't want you starving yourself to death…" he whispered and I tightened my arms a little around Drake. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if Drake died… and just thinking about it gave me the shivers. "I want you to recover, both mentally and physically. The best way to start on the physical aspects is to build up your strength again. Start eating…"

"I will, My Pharaoh… I will," Drake promised. "First thing in the morning…" he added. He sounded tired. How could anyone blame him? He had been to Hell and back today and I was sure that all he wanted was some time to sleep in the arms of the two people that loved him

"Good, now please Drake, rest. Tommy and I have you. Nothing will hurt you tonight or any other night…" he whispered, sounding like he wanted to make up for not being able to protect him from Brad for the past two weeks.

Within minutes Drake was asleep and snoring softly, but his snores sounded more like purring. My Rah, perhaps he really was part cat? I pressed my head between his shoulder blades, listening to the soft vibrations of his vocal cords. Exactly like a cat… It began to lull me to sleep but when Pharaoh sighed, I was pulled away from that comforting realm of darkness reaching out to me.

"What saddens you?" I asked, praying to Rah that this was more about Brad and less about Alexander. Drake did say that the first rape happened in front of a statue. Pharaoh and I both knew that it had to have been Alexander's statue and I was sure that Pharaoh was not at all pleased by that. But… Alexander was not the one who had been hurt so badly. Drake was and I hoped that Pharaoh understood that.

To my relief, he said absolutely nothing about Alexander. "I should have been able to protect him like I promised him I would…" he whispered, looking down at brown haired youth. He was still fast asleep, absolutely no knowledge of our conversation at all. It was when he was asleep that he looked most innocent and from looking at him now, I never would have guessed that Brad had touched him. Never would have even thought that he was sexually active with myself and the King of Egypt…

"My Pharaoh… you cannot blame yourself for what everyone failed to recognize…" I whispered and his ocean eyes lifted to meet my dull brown ones.

"But he trusted me with his life. He trusted me with _everything_ and I let him down… I wasn't there when he needed me and Brad hurt him so badly. Those memories will never just burn away…" he whispered.

I frowned, lifting a hand to palm Pharaoh's cheek gently. He turned his face into my touch, as if needing the comfort. "My Pharaoh please do not be like this. Drake does not blame you in the slightest for what happened. He does not blame anyone but Brad and himself, he told me so…"

"He blames himself?" Pharaoh asked, his eyes widening again. Whoops, I should not have let that one slip. Drake was going to kill me for that.

Sighing, I nodded. "He told me that he feels responsible. Probably because he decided not to tell us. If he had told us right after Brad touched him for the first time, we could have prevented both rapes, but none of that was his fault. I told him that but I'm not entirely sure he believes me…" I whispered.

"He was only trying to protect his family… We all can understand that. Brad did have power that most people didn't. He could have had his family executed, but that isn't going to happen," Pharaoh said, his hold on Drake tightening just slightly. "We can't let him think that this is, in any way, his fault. He did nothing wrong at all and he should not put any blame on himself."

"I know that, My Pharaoh. Unfortunately rape victims often do blame themselves more than anyone else… Sometimes even more than their rapist," I mumbled, feeling my heart cracking at the idea of Drake thinking this was all his fault. Surely Pharaoh and I would be able to convince him that it wasn't like that at all…

Pharaoh sighed again and his eyes fell back onto Drake's face. "My Pharaoh?" I asked, biting down on my bottom lip. I hoped I was not about to step outside boundaries but I had to know…

"Yes, Tommy?" Pharaoh asked but his eyes didn't leave Drake's face. I bit my lip, looking down at the youth in our arms as well.

"Drake is afraid that you will no longer want him because he had been touched by Brad. I told him that wasn't true, that you were far too attached to him to just throw him away because someone forced him into sex…" I whispered. "I just want to know that I am right in telling him that…" Basically, I wanted to make sure Pharaoh was not going to just throw Drake away. By the way Pharaoh was holding him right now told me that he would never just get rid of him, but I needed to be sure…

"What? Of course I would never throw him away…" Pharaoh whispered, one of his hands coming to rest on Drake's cheek. "I would never just throw him away…." he repeated, as if to make me completely understand that Drake was precious to him. I never expected anything less but I just had to be sure…

"Do you love him?" I asked, hoping dearly to hear a definite "yes". Not a yes that made him sound unsure of his love for Drake or for Alexander. I also was hoping he would answer me right away, but he didn't say anything, he merely sighed, looking conflicted.

There was a long silence before he finally tore his eyes away from Drake's face. "Yes… I do," he said firmly. I wanted to question him further, but he sounded definite in his words and I knew that he would not be elaborating. I just had to trust that the Gods were leading Pharaoh in the right direction. That Pharaoh was in love with Drake for Drake, not for Alexander but something was nagging at me, telling me that probably wasn't true…

No, I had to trust Pharaoh. He was many things but he was not a liar and if he said he would never throw Drake out and that he loved the boy, I had to believe that…

But I wasn't entirely sure.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: On the verge of something wonderful**

 **Drake's POV**

It'd been a few days since I told them what Brad had been doing to me. The cuts on my thighs had healed and scarred over, one of the only reminders of what I'd suffered. Pharaoh had not called for me because he wanted to make sure that I was ready. That I was back to physical and mental strength to handle something like sex again. But what he didn't seem to understand was that I was ready… I needed his love and his affections to erase what Brad had done…

But I didn't know how to tell him that. So I pondered it for several days. I slept little but I ate. Instead of big, main courses that I couldn't keep down, I snacked. I would eat pieces of fruit or bread periodically throughout the day, to keep me going without eating too much at one time. It was better this way, to say the least. I was able to stomach more and keep myself healthy.

Though, I knew, that regaining my original condition would take time and work. I'd lost a lot of weight between the first confrontation with Brad and then last night. Partially because I couldn't eat. Sometimes, though, I didn't want to eat. Some days I felt like, because of what Brad was trying to make me out to be, I didn't deserve to eat. I think back on it now, and that was rather stupid of me, but that was how I felt…

I shook my head, dressing in a pair of tan colored trousers and a white shirt, strapping my sandals onto my feet. My hair was pulled back into its regular lopsided ponytail, my bangs tucked behind my ear. I grabbed a small shoulder bag that hung on the inside of my wardrobe, crossing it over my body and letting it hang in place. I'd told Tommy, earlier that morning, that I was going to go to the Bizarre to buy a few things. There had been this need to… create, resting in the back of my mind since I'd told Pharaoh and Tommy. I felt inspired, but, by what, I didn't know.

I grabbed my liner, smudging some on before setting it back down onto my vanity. Since I'd broken my mirror, I hadn't gotten it replaced in a while. But I knew the feel of my eyes and, after a quick check in the bathroom mirror, I deemed myself decent enough. I walked down the hall, the irrational fear still whispering Brad's voice in my ear, but my heart knew it wasn't real. Pharaoh had taken care of him. Brad couldn't hurt me anymore.

I turned, walking out through one of the large arches at the front of the palace. Despite its complex size, I knew all of the shortcuts and quick routes, making a usual quarter to half mile walk nothing more than a few paces through this hall and down this passage. I smiled to myself as the sun turned my normal brown hair a rich, vibrant chocolate, its rays heating my skin. Ra, I could never thank you enough.

I stepped down the stairs that led up to the front, crossing the street and dashing across the hot sands towards the Bizarre. I walked briskly, slipping between vendor stalls and citizens. It wasn't nearly as crowded as it had been the day Tommy had brought me, but it was still quite packed. People dressed in trousers, shorts, vests, skirts, dresses, all colors, all designs, everything swarmed around me and I couldn't help the faint smile that played on my lips. I liked it here.

I scanned across rows and aisles of stalls before finding my first stop. I pushed to the front, apologizing to anyone I'd rudely bumped into. I glanced at the merchandise, my tongue grazing against my bottom lip as I looked at different canvas sizes. Taught, stretched white over a wooden frame and I smiled wider at one that was roughly three feet tall and two feet wide. I pointed to it, motioning for the vendor to grab it for me.

The vendor was a woman, appearing in her late forties, with rich black hair and deep green eyes. Her skin was pale, like mine, showing the years of painting and work in his her hands more than her face. She was glowing, a smile on her lips as he plucked the canvas from its nail and handed it to me. I nodded once in thanks, reaching into my bag and pulling out the money I owed her. She bowed her head back in gratitude.

I held the canvas close to my body, trying to ignore the awkward shape of it as I made my way farther down the aisle. Pots, pans, linens, jewels, spices, herbs, anything and everything. I slipped between a crowd of people, stopping at another stall that had oils and pastels. The things I wanted. I set my canvas down on the ground beside me as I plucked out the prime colors— red, yellow and blue— before grabbing the white, black, and various shades of the primes. I smiled as the vendor tied all the colors I wanted— a good ten or fifteen— with a piece of string and handed it back to me. I slipped the bundle into my bag, paying him before gathering my canvas back into my arms and walking again.

I had a canvas, I had paints. I needed brushes now.

I made my way down to the end of this aisle of vendors, seeing a young girl sitting in a stall, helping a few customers. I frowned, recognizing something in her pale skin and blond hair, but I couldn't quite place it. But she appeared to be selling brushes of all sizes, lengths and thicknesses, so why not pay her a visit? Tucking my canvas close to my side, I hurried over to her stand. She was still helping customers, looking barely older than fifteen, as I grazed what she had.

Finely carved wood with thick and thin fibers. Some soft to the touch, others a little firmed. I ran my fingertips over them, enjoying their feel when the vendor came to me, a small smile on her face, "Anything I can help you with?" She asked. Her voice sounded familiar, but younger, softer than what I was thinking of. I didn't look up at her, I merely continued to feel the brushes.

"I'm looking for the best you have," I told him, examining a thin brush. The girl nodded once, before going to the back of her stall, rummaging through some baskets that she had. I glanced up, watching as her golden hair fell into his face as she looked. I frowned until she came back, shaking her hair out of the way.

"How about these?" She asked, holding out a small bundle of brushes to me. Feather thin bristles, softer than anything she had out on the lip of the stand. The handle was made with dark, cherry wood, thick and sturdy. I stared in marvel as the craftiness and perfection of them. I smiled in awe, forgetting to breathe.

"They're perfect. How much?" I asked, looking up at her before, again, forgetting to breathe. Her cheekbones were high, sharp and defined. Her lips were full, stained a light red. But her eyes were what really got to me. They were deep, soothing and wider than the regular almond shape.

They were also a rich, beautiful brown.

"Seventeen." She said. I stared for a moment, before nodding once, looking away. Didn't Tommy say… He had a sister?

I reached into my bag, pulling out the money. She smiled, taking it from me and returning to the back to store it away. I stared at her for a long moment as I slipped the brushes into my bag. "Pardon me… But.. Is there any chance you have… A brother?" I asked her, not wanting to jump the gun. It was a harmless question, but her back went rigid with tension as she stood back up.

"I… I do, yes… but… He was taken by the Pharaoh's men to work for him. We couldn't pay our taxes." She said, seeming lost in the memory. "My parents didn't seem to care though. My brother was.. Not the purest of people, I guess you could say," she commented with a laugh, looking back up at me. I clung to my canvas, nodding once. I licked my lips, glancing over to her.

"Do you miss him?" I asked her. She frowned, looking at me like I was dumb, but she smiled sadly and nodded.

"Every day." She said. I felt my heart clench and I cleared my throat.

"What— what was his name?" Final moment of truth. The girl looked like she really didn't want to say, but she ran her fingers through her hair, looking away for a moment. I could see how similar she was to Tommy. They're actions, their expressions, what they did with their hair, how they moved. They had to be—

"Thomas. He preferred Tommy, though." She said. My heart skipped up into my throat and I grinned. Why not give her some satisfaction? She glanced over at me, frowning slightly, "What?"

"If you're worried about him, don't be. He's doing just fine." I told her. She frowned further, her eyes going wide for a moment as I turned, smiling and disappeared into the crowd. I knew her position all too well; missing someone so close to her and wanting to know if they were, at least, doing okay. That they were making it alright. I heard her call after me, but I was already gone, making my way back towards the palace.

The sands were hot on my skin and the heat was becoming intense, but still, I pushed through the crowds and onto the street, racing across and up the stairs towards the arch of the palace that I had left under. The stone work had heat waves rolling on its surface, and I could feel the sweat sliding down my legs before I slipped under the arch and into the cool shade of the palace.

I hurried down the hall, giving light, friendly nods to passing servants and scholars as I turned corner after corner before reaching my door. I pushed it open with my shoulder, setting the canvas down on the floor, leaning it against the wall. I crossed to my bed, pulling my bag off of my shoulder and dumping out my paints and brushes, as well as the remaining money that I had.

I glanced around, not finding what I was needing as I hurried to the bathroom, pulling open one of the cabinets. There were empty jars from herbs and ointments, and I plucked one out before setting it onto the counter of the sink. I stood, closing the doors and turned towards the linen closet, pulling out a small hand towel. I smiled to myself before turning on the water and filling the jar about half way, shutting it off again.

I carried my jar and towel back to my room, setting them down on the floor next to my canvas. I still… I still needed something to put my paints on, to mix them and keep them all in one place. I frowned, licking my lips before crossing to my bed, gathering the bundles of paints and brushes and setting them, too, down onto the floor next to the canvas. I crossed over to my wardrobe, pulling the doors open and looking inside. I wasn't sure what I would find, but I glanced down, seeing a few plate sized mats of leather that were thin but sturdy.

I had never seen them before, but I figured they would be of good use to me. I plucked one out, shutting my wardrobe doors as I turned back to where my canvas sat. I smiled, sitting down and setting the leather mat next to my right knee. I shifted the jar and towel up, letting them sit close to the wall as I untied my brushes and paints, letting them sit, spread out to my left. I licked my lips, taking paints and uncapping them, gentle squeezing small dallops onto the leather, leaving room to mix and match. I smiled as the familiar scents of oils filled my senses.

Grabbing a brush, I dabbed at some blue, mixing it with white and making a soft, creamy, baby blue. I glanced at my canvas, sticking my tongue out of the corner of my mouth as I began to paint. I wasn't sure what I was going for, but… Why not let my imagination take control? Why not let it paint itself instead of arguing with myself about it. And what I tried to ignore the most was that I'd never taken a lesson or read the proper technique to paint. I just did it…

The blue became various shades of the skies, and white became clouds. I dabbed at the blue, mixing it with a touch of green and white and painting, adding smears of black here and there until I realized there were birds, soaring through clouds on my canvas. It felt incomplete though, even as the sun began to dip away and the light was vanishing. I kept my tongue sticking out of the corner of my mouth as I rinsed my brushed, dabbing it clean on the towel. I grabbed a thinner brush, taking up blue and red, making a dark purple and adding features to the wings of the birds…

Wings…

I leaned close, adding details into the curves of the clouds. This wasn't just a painting, it felt like a story. I was adding small hieroglyphics into the clouds and on the feathers of a bird which, with perspective, was closer than the others when I heard a small knock at my door. I didn't turn my head away from my work, but I mumbled a soft "come in". Footsteps scuffed the stone and I felt a looming, large presence behind me.

The person knelt down behind me, his hands gently wrapping around my waist. I glanced down, briefly, to see freckled, tanned arms and I smiled, leaning back into the Pharaoh's embrace. He turned his head, pressing a kiss to my cheek and I blushed deeply, "What's this?" He asked, looking at my painting.

"I… I'm not sure," I told him, setting my brush aside. I was, by no means, finished with it, but I knew Pharaoh would be occupying my attention, and I did not want to mess up what I'd been spending hours trying to create. His hands were soft as they slid under my shirt, but his chin rested on my shoulder as he stared at the canvas. I felt very self-conscious about the fact that he was staring, not speaking in the slightest. Did he not like it? Did he like it? Was there something wrong with it?

"It's beautiful," he whispered with love laced in his tone. I felt myself relax and I blushed, turning my head and kissing the corner of his mouth. He moaned softly, tilting his head and catching my lips with his. I moaned, reaching back and tangling my fingers into his hair, pulling gently.

"Thank you," I whispered into his lips. He smiled, chuckling deeply and kissing me again.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: So You Wanna Be Famous, and Undeniably Sexy?  
Adam's POV**

"Come in," Drake mumbled from behind his chamber's door. He sounded a but distracted and I wondered why. When I opened the door, I immediately got an answer. He was painting and I was curious as to how he had gotten the materials for it and what he was painting in the first place. So I walked over to him, kneeling behind him and kissing him gently.

"What's this?" I asked, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist and resting my chin against his shoulder. He blushed lightly, just as he always did and he leaned back into my hold. I gladly took him. I missed our closeness but ever since I found out what Brad had done to him, I was afraid to push him too far. What if we were getting intimate and he… started to feel like I was doing what Brad had done to him? What if I just started this entire painful process over again?

I just couldn't… bring myself to ask Drake to accompany me in my bed, not matter how much I really wanted to. I couldn't be so selfish when he was trying to recover from being raped.

"I… I'm not sure," he said to me as he set his supplied aside so he could focus on my presence. For a long time I just stared at the painting. It was hard to believe that Drake had done it considering no one had ever taught him how to pain. The details of all the feathers and clouds were beautiful and when I squinted, I was able to make out hieroglyphs that he had painted just a tiny shade darker into the clouds and feathers. I recognized them too. All of the beautiful symbols were the promises I had inked into the flesh of his back and I was hit with a tiny wave of guilt.

The painting was stunning, especially for someone so young and new in the world of art. He had told me he had a passion for it and that he would love to create things whenever he could but I never thought he would be so magnificent so quickly. Staring at the painting made my heart melt and I couldn't stop the love and admiration that flowed from my vocal cords. "It's beautiful," I whispered.

A soft blush rushed across his pale cheeks again and he smiled, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth. I moaned, turning my head just slightly to catch his lips fully with mine. He moaned softly, his artistic fingers curling into my hair and giving it a soft pull. Our kiss broke for just a moment. He muttered a soft "thank you" into my lips before kissing me back again.

I pulled the boy close to me, holding his tiny frame tightly against my both as I turned my head to angle the kiss. Drake slowly turned in my arms so his chest was pressed against mine and his lips parted enough for me to explore the caverns of his mouth. My tongue glided over his, pulling a soft whine from the brunette. I chuckled softly against him lips and he took that opportunity to push his tongue into my mouth and to explore with his own.

I moaned as he straddled my hips and his fingers tightened into my hair. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed that he was willing to let me make love to him. That he was ready and as willing to please as he always was but… he couldn't possibly be ready for something like sex. Not after everything Brad put him through.

Drake pressed himself against me again and he, briefly, rubbed over my groin, pulling a groan from my lips. I had to stop this before things went too far. I pushed gently at his shoulders, breaking our kiss and he whined again, his bright blue eyes looking almost… hurt. "My Pharaoh?" he whispered, looking into my eyes.

"Drake, baby… I just don't want to get carried away," I whispered, cupping his cheeks in my hands. "Please understand that I only wish for you to get better. You're hurting right now and I would hate to make that any worse for you."

"I understand," he whispered softly but his eyes betrayed his true emotions. He wanted me to continue kissing him, that much was completely obvious. How much he desired beyond that, I was not sure, but I just couldn't risk getting too turned on… If he felt like it was his job to please me, but wasn't ready for it I could… I couldn't live with myself.

I held him in my arms for quite some time, just enjoying the warmth between us but eventually I did speak again. "I actually came to tell you about Brad." Drake tensed in my arms, just as I assumed he would.

"What about Brad?" Drake asked, his eyes meeting mine. I could see just the tiniest bit of fear in his opal-like eyes.

"Well, you will be happy to know that he had been molested over a dozen times according to my guards on duty. The other prisoners certainly have a liking to him…" I said, my voice trailing off. From what the guards had told me, Brad had been more that molested and was actually in pretty poor condition right now. Not that it mattered much. Bradley was going to be executed soon anyway.

"Then he's getting what he deserves," Drake hissed, his eyes growing dark and very serious. I sighed softly, petting Drake's hair gently in one hand and pressing a kiss into his hair line.

"He's also been given an execution date," I continued and Drake blinked. I don't believe I ever told him that Brad was scheduled for execution, but he simply nodded, willing me to continue silently. To be honest, it was almost creepy how Drake could practically communicate with people without even speaking. "Three weeks from today," I told him. "Until then, the other prisoners will have a nice toy to play with. Like I said, they really are fond of him…"

It still filled my heart with pain and sadness to know that one of my most trusted advisers would betray me like this and hurt one of my boys so badly. And in front of Alexander too…

"I'm not sorry…" Drake whispered, as if it was wrong to speak his mind. "I'm not sorry they're raping him. I'm not sorry he's suffering…"

I just nodded, pressing my forehead gently to his. "I know, baby. You shouldn't show him any pity… He doesn't deserve it," I whispered, pressing my lips to his. We kissed softly for a few moments but when he pulled back, he looked tired. "You should get some sleep, honey. It's getting late. Probably later than you realized while painting like this." I gestured to his beautiful masterpiece. "You can keep working in the morning, alright?"

"But Pharaoh, I'm really not that tired…" he said, yawning as if his body was determined to make a liar out of him.

Chuckling, I stood up with the boy in my arms. "Your yawning says otherwise," I teased, carrying him over to his bed and I laid him down, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Get some rest, my beautiful boy. I, and your painting, will see you in the morning," I said, pressing another kiss to his forehead. He whined, probably feeling like a little kid. I chuckled and pressed a passionate but brief kiss to his lips. "Goodnight baby."

"Night, Adam…" he muttered and I just smiled down at him, rubbing his cheek gently with my fingers before exiting the room and going to Tommy's. I knew there was an adjoining door but Drake was already drifting off to sleep, so I didn't want to wake him with knocking and I didn't want to just walk in on Tommy either.

Tommy came to the door and opened it for me. "Oh, hello Pharaoh," he said pleasantly and he smiled softly.

"Hello… I was, er… wondering if you would join me tonight? Just you and I… I'm really in desperate need of your comfort. I'd like Drake's as well but I am afraid to push boundaries with him right now."

The blond just smiled softly, though when I mentioned Drake I could have sworn I saw a flash of worry in his eyes. "Of course, My Pharaoh," he said and he shut the lights in his room off before joining me in the corridor and looping his arm through mine. We walked in a warm, comfortable silence back to my chambers and once the door closed behind us, I was kissing the blond. I could not begin to explain this sudden need. Drake's kiss earlier had left me wanting and needing to be touched and to touch…

But I could not do that with Drake. Not after Brad… Not now…

"My Pharaoh…" Tommy muttered into my lips, his hands wandering up to the few necklaces that graced my neck. He began pulling them off and shortly after, my shirt was discarded to the ground. I quickly followed his example, shedding him of his necklaces and his shirt.

He gasped, crying out as my hands wandered his chest, rubbing and pinching brown buds into hardness as my tongue shoved down his throat. He groaned into me, arching and pulling roughly on my hair and that was the last bit I needed to become fully erect. "Tommy…" I muttered against his lips, pushing him down onto the massive bed. I stripped my trousers off, feeling relief when the material was no long confiding my aching member.

"My Pharaoh…" Tommy muttered, looking from my eyes to my groin. "Where has this desperation come from?" he asked as I pushed him onto his back, pulling his shorts down his thighs and tossing them to the side.

"I… honestly have no idea. Drake and I had a… pretty heated kiss that left me wanting to just… go crazy on him," I said, feeling ashamed of myself. There were so many things I wanted to do with that boy but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. If he ever felt like I was another Bradley, I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt… "But I just can't yet… Not with him, not yet," I continued, being completely honest.

Tommy sighed, looking up at me with big, chocolate eyes. "You may go crazy on me if you wish, my Pharaoh, but you cannot ignore that boy forever," he said softly, tangling his fingers into my hair and pulling again. I cried out, pressing my hips down into his and he threw his head back, moaning like a bitch in heat. I knew he was trying to get a point across but I just was not in the mood to listen to anything important right now. I needed to relieve this horrible desire first!

"M-my Pharaoh…" he whimpered, arching into me and I sighed, recalling the night we had gotten into that horrible argument about how I should not be confusing Drake with Alexander. He was so upset that I had let Drake call me by name.

"Adam, Tommy… In here, it's Adam," I whispered, kissing his neck gently and he moaned, arching into me again. His body was on fire, much like mine was and for a minute, I imagined the bed bursting into flame around us.

"Adam…?" he said, a soft, pink blush rushing across his cheeks. He was embarrassed to say it and it was adorable all the same, though it did not sound the same coming from Tommy. Drake's voice carrying my name just did things to me physically and mentally. Things that I cannot even begin to explain without sounding like a complete and total moron. I promise you, the King of all Egypt is not, completely, a moron!

I smirked down at him, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips before shifting downward, carrying my lips down his chest while kissing and nipping spots when I felt the urge to hear him squeal. His moans were beautiful and his arching was even more so, I only wished that Drake were here so I may witness the same from his being… "Adam… please…" Tommy whined, pushing his hips up into my face once I had finally reached the bottom of his stomach.

"Oh Tommy, no need to be so impatient. Sometimes it isn't good to rush these matters…" I mumbled, pressing a gentle kiss to his full hard on. He groaned, tossing his head back into the pillows as his fingers retangled into my hair. The scene very much reminded me of the last time I had my boys in bed with me and I had told Tommy to relieve Drake of his pain, only Tommy had morphed into Drake and I into Tommy.

"But… it hurts," he whimpered, pushing his hips up again. I smirked, taking his hips into my hands and forcing them back down into the over stuffed mattress. I held him down tightly as my tongue wandered from base to tip and he cried out, almost screaming as his hips fought furiously to push into my mouth.

But I was stronger and was able to keep his hips pinned.

Beautiful whines and moans fell from the blonde's lips as I slowly took him into my mouth. Normally I wasn't one to service my boys like this but maybe I should have a little more often. After all, the act of love making was a two way effort, was it not? Should I not have been putting forth the same amount of effort as Tommy and Drake did?

I knew Tommy was close to coming undone, but I wrapped one hand tightly around the base of his member, keeping his orgasm back as I pulled off of him. He cried out, wanting the friction back so badly and I just chuckled, sliding my tongue from his erection and down to his entrance. Much like with Drake, Tommy whined, gasping and screaming in pleasure as my tongue slid inside of him. He was wet and willing and Ra did I fucking want him so badly. But the best things did come to those who waited, correct?

"Phara- Adam… Please… I need it…" he whispered to me as my tongue pressed into that spot that drove him absolutely wild. His hips lifted and he wailed in ecstasy. I waited for him to come, but he never did, so I pressed my tongue into that spot again. Again I was greeted with a scream of pure pleasure but absolutely no release from the blond.

So, Tommy was playing that game, was he? I smirked into Tommy's flesh, pulling back. "If you are going to be like that, I will tease your orgasm out of you…" I whispered low and seductive. He moaned, whimpering softly as I slipped a finger into him, curling it into that spot again…


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty: I wanna get you alone and give you a fever…**

 **Tommy's POV**

I threw my head back, crying out as Phar— _Adam_ — pushed a finger inside of me, replacing his tongue. I missed the wet warmth of the muscle, but this was different. This went deeper and stretched me a little farther. My heart was thrashing in my chest and my skin felt way too hot to be normal. I groaned as he slipped it out a little, only to shove it back in, stabbing that spot inside of me. I clenched around him, crying out again.

My hands were pulling tight on his hair, yanking his head up as I slammed my mouth over his. He moaned when I pushed my tongue between his teeth, tasting the insides of his mouth. His finger moved in and out of me, before he managed to squeeze a third in. I arched up into him, moaning into his mouth and rocking back onto his fingers, trying to force them deeper into me. If I had to fuck myself on them, I would. Because each thrust was hitting that spot and driving me wild.

"F-fuck! Adam…" I whined as I pulled away from his mouth, only to whine louder as he pulled his fingers out from me and pushing my hips down onto the bed. I ached, my hands slipping out from his hair, clenching the blankets beneath my body. The lack of being filled left me feeling… incomplete, almost. It was painful, to say the least. It was such a familiar thing and to not have it after being teased was almost cruel. Almost.

Pharaoh shifted, pushing my legs apart and dipping his head down again, his tongue teasing my entrance and making me squeal. The King of Egypt had done a lot of things to me in the years that I'd been his lover. Between being so rough I couldn't walk the next day and so gentle it drove me crazy, I'd been exposed to a lot. But this was one that was still new to me. One I still had to understand and enjoy, fully. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying every touch and kiss and bite and lick, but… I needed him. I needed what he always gave me.

I gasped as his tongue nudged that spot inside of me, wet and warm and unfamiliar but too good to deny. I clenched my jaw, groaning as I pushed back onto him, tightening around his tongue. My vision was beginning to grow fuzzy and, I was sure, my knuckles were turning white from fisting the blankets of the bed. Sweat was forming on my forehead and I groaned again, trembling lightly.

Pharaoh pushed forward again, touching that spot. My back arched and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back my orgasm. I wanted to come undone with Pharaoh deep inside of me, but he seemed determined to tear me apart with just the gentle flicks of his tongue. His nails were digging into my thighs and he kept thrusting his tongue into me. My back was completely arched off of the bed and I could stop moaning…

Oh, fuck, fine.

"Fuck!" I screamed, my body trembling as I came, warm goo splattering on my stomach and, I was sure, Pharaoh's hair. He moaned, removing his tongue from deep within me. My legs felt like jelly and I could barely move them. My heart was racing in my chest and my eyes fluttered shut. Pharaoh pressed his lips to my hip, licking me clean. I moaned softly, smiling and giggling at the feel of his lips on my skin. It tickled, in a way. It was strange, especially since I wasn't watching him do it.

"Mm, you taste good," He whispered and I felt my face heat up drastically. I bit down on my bottom lip as the King left gentle swipes of his lips against my stomach and chest, nibbling lightly on my nipples. I moaned, tasting myself on his tongue as he kissed me. I reached up, threading my fingers into his hair and pulling hard on it.

True enough, I felt the stickiness in his hair, warm and thick. I wanted to laugh, but I moaned, again, instead as Pharaoh pulled away from my mouth, nipping my neck and my throat as he made his way back down my body. I bit down on my bottom lip, groaning as he used his tongue to toy with my nipples. He sucked on them, pulling a strangled gasp from my lips as his fingers trailed lightly against my dick. I arched my back, bringing my hips up slightly as he kissed my stomach again.

"Now, now, Tommy… Ra, you're impatient." He commented, chuckling, his breath fanning over my skin. My face flushed deep and I tilted my head back, arching again. His tongue flicked against the tip of my member and I hissed, clenching the blankets into my palms again. Fuck, he was going to drive me insane all night, wasn't he? I moaned, topping it off with a whine as he tongued me again.

"Fuck…" I whispered, feeling myself getting hard again. Two times in one night? Pharaoh was in an awfully horny mood, then. He hadn't been like this… Since Drake's first night… And then the night where he had me.. take care of Drake. I trembled at the memory of that night, as well as the dream that I'd had to follow.

His lips pressed to my groin, his tongue tasting below the curve of my balls and I arched, groaning softly. He chucked against my skin, licking me again. I inhaled sharply, tremors running down my spine and electrifying my nerves, making the hairs on my body stand on end with goose bumps beneath them. Ra… I hadn't felt like this… Been _touched_ like this since _before_ Drake was brought here.

"Mm, Tommy…" Pharaoh whispered, bringing himself back up to tease my nipples as he slipped a finger into me. I gasped, loudly, my eyes fluttering open as I glanced down at the black haired King. His eyes were shut, his lips wrapped tight around my left nipple as he sucked gently on it. One hand was nestled between my legs, the other resting on my hip. I let my eyes close again, reveling in the sensations, shivering as he poked that spot within me.

This was how it was as he worked me open. He teased my nipples, bit and marked my neck, all the while moving his fingers in me, stretching me and scissoring me, leaving me whining and panting like a bitch in heat. I was sure my bottom lip was bruised and swollen from gnawing on it as he did this to me. It was torture, but I was loving every moment of it.

Somehow he'd managed all of his fingers but his thumb inside of me, fisting me and making me wail. I wanted to come again. I wanted to fall apart at the seams, but I held myself together with the occasional squeeze to the base of my erection. I wanted to fall apart with him inside of me, as I'd done most nights when I'd first been brought here. I wanted to feel him unravel with me. I wanted to feel like things were back to normal and that Drake wasn't always occupying his mind—

 _What's this, Tommy? Jealous of your best friend?_ I grunted, responding to my thoughts. Yes. I was jealous of what Drake and Pharaoh shared, but Pharaoh and I had something of our own as well. Sure, it was primal and rough, but it was _ours_. What Pharaoh and Drake had was softer, gentler and… Well, passionate. Maybe that was what I envied. _Passion_.

"Pharaoh, please…" I begged as he removed his fingers. He chuckled, low and dark as he kissed my neck before sliding off of the bed. I whined, trying to force my eyes open to follow his footsteps, but I couldn't will them to open. I heard him shuffling around for something before he came back to the bed. He grabbed me by my hips, rolling me over onto my stomach. His fingers trailed down my spine to my ass before he swatted me along the curve just above the back of my thigh. I yelped, pushing into the bed to escape the sting…

"On your hands and knees," he whispered. I moaned, shakily pushing myself into the desire position. My eyes were open and I stared down at the pillows, but it didn't matter what I was seeing. He wrapped a blindfold around my head, cutting off my sight. I moaned, shaking more as his hands slid down my sides, gripping tight onto my hips. He hadn't done this to me in a long time…

I felt him press into my entrance and I gasp, my body going rigid with tension as he begins to push into me. His nails dug into my hips as he thrust his hips, forcing himself into me entirely. I cried out, letting my head drop as he nestled himself deep, warm and pulsing. I shivered, biting down on my bottom lip, groaning as he rocked his hips, pushing farther into me and making me tremble. I couldn't breathe right and I knew that my heart was racing in my chest. I could hear the beat in my ears.

"So good…" Pharaoh whispered, pressing his nails harder into my flesh. I whined, my hands fisting the blankets that I knelt on as he thrust into me, his momentum pushing me forward only so I could fall back and take him deeper again. I shuddered, choking on a breath as he hit that sweet spot for, possibly, the tenth time tonight. My mouth was hanging open, taking in air and letting it out in soft moans. My eyes were squeezed shut behind the blindfold, my arms and legs trembling.

He must've decided that I didn't need to adjust any further, for he began to rock into me, hard and fast, taking me the only way I ever asked him to. Rough. Dirty. Maybe it was meaningless at the beginning, but there was something about the way he handled me in the bedroom that I found enticing. To the public eye, I was a sweet, charming little servant that he handled with care. Loved gently. But in here? He clawed me, bit me, marked me, claimed and owned me for all that I was worth. In here, I really was his little slave.

"P-Pharaoh…" I moaned, letting my head fall again. One of Pharaoh's hands disappeared from my hip and his fingers curled into my hair, pulling my head back in one, quick and sharp tug. I cried out, feeling the sting and pain shoot down my spine and straight to my erection, making it painful as it hung between my legs. I whimpered as he growled, pulling me up so my back was pressed tight to his chest. His lips sealed around a spot on my neck, his teeth taking a dive into the flesh as his nails raked down the front of my chest.

"What did I tell you, Tommy?" He hissed into my ear, thrusting hard into me, making me scream. My head fell back onto his shoulder, my mouth open in pants as his nails slashed across my stomach. I whimpered, trembling against him as his hips continued their quick and rough motion. "What did I tell you to call me in here?" He questioned and I moaned again.

"A-Adam…" I breathed, tightening around him as he pushed in again. He moaned, pressing his face into the crook of my neck as his fingers curled around my erection, squeezing the base, massaging it. I cried out, whimpering. I wanted to come so badly, but something told me that he wasn't going have any of that just yet… Not until he deemed I'd deserved it..

"Good boy, good… Tell me… How badly do you wanna come, Tommy?" He seethed into my ear, his tongue grazing against my earlobe and up along the shell. I groaned, panting and whining as he squeezed me again, keeping me back as he thrust into me, nailing that spot and nailing it _hard_.

"Please! Please, Adam… I can't.. I need it please, please.. Need it so bad.." I whispered, some of my words lost with moans as he pushed up and in again, making me scream. Still, he squeezed.

"You're gonna— mm, have to do better than that…" Pharaoh hissed, nipping my ear and my neck, making me shake against him. I whimpered, reaching down to try and move his hand away to touch myself. I _needed_ to, didn't he understand that? I needed to. It was beginning to hurt with such a fire that I wanted to scream and cry. If he wasn't going to let me come undone, then I'd have to—

His hands swatted me away and he pushed me down so that my cheek was pressed against the pillow, my back arching and my ass sticking straight up in the air, filled with his erection as he pounded into me mercilessly. I cried out, shaking as he kept a hand around my member, holding my release back. He squeezed again, pulling me from the edge as his nails dug into the tops of my shoulders, raking down my back down to my hips. I screamed, feeling the cliff between me and falling into my orgasm beginning to crumble away.

"Adam! Fucking… _Please!_ " I shouted, moaning and whining. He shivered, reaching down. He wrapped a hand around me, pumping once as he slammed into me again. I gasped, coming into the blankets of his bed as he filled me, making me quake. He moaned softly, collapsing on top of me, pushing me into the pool of my seed. I trembled, breathing hard as he reached up, pulling the blindfold off of my head. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the dim light from the moon as I turned my head in time to receive a kiss from him.

"So amazing…" He whispered. I blushed, smiling weakly. My back and my stomach burned from where he clawed me, but I didn't mind it. It'd been awhile, but the memory of receiving such marks was still burned into my mind from previous experiences. It was nothing new to me.

"Thank you, My Pharaoh." I said, and he cleared his throat. I blushed further, "I.. I mean… Thank you, _Adam_." I corrected. He chuckled, kissing the back of my neck gently.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One: But I Can't Take This…  
Drake's POV**

I went to see Tommy last night because I had a nightmare but he wasn't in his room. I went back this morning to see if he wanted to take a bath with me but he still wasn't there, so I bathed alone and, for some odd reason, I felt very alone. As if I was the only person in the world.

Ever since the night I told Pharaoh what Brad had done to me, I felt alone. I was starting to feel as if Pharaoh really didn't want me anymore… Perhaps it was only a matter of time before he shipped me off to the pyramids because he couldn't stand to touch me anymore…

Every step I took towards the dining hall for breakfast was like a step closer to my end, my undoing. It took all of the power within me not to turn around and go right back to my room. Even if Pharaoh did not want me anymore, I would still do anything and everything to please him and today, he expected me to be with him at breakfast. No matter how much I would have liked to stay in my room and not show up at all, I would not allow it. As long as I lived in this palace, I would do whatever it was that Pharaoh wanted me to do.

Even if whatever that may be made me unhappy…

The room wasn't filled with nearly the amount of people it usually was. Only a few of the higher up works, the ones who actually got paid, Cassidy, Tommy and Pharaoh sat at the table. I bowed my head respectfully as their eyes turned upon me. "There you are. I was beginning to worry…" Pharaoh whispered, nothing but compassion in his tone. I did not, for one minute, believe that it was real for, if it was, he would understand that I needed him to touch me and to love me to get over what Brad had done to me. Without his help, the memory of Brad would always stay. I would always feel that man inside of me and not the man I should have been feeling!

"I apologize for my tardiness, My Pharaoh. I overslept…" I lied. I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Not after the nightmare and having no one to go to for comfort.

Pharaoh gave me a warm smile that I returned half-assly. I wasn't much in a smiling mood and I crossed to the other side of the table, taking my normal seat. Tommy kept his head down, as if he was unwilling to look at me or meet my gaze. At first that upset and confused me, but then I saw it. A giant purple, almost black, bite mark on Tommy's pale, doll like skin.

My eyes widened in realization. How could I have been so foolish as to not figure out where Tommy was last night and this morning? He was with Pharaoh, having one Hell of a time, it seemed. I knew I shouldn't have been jealous. After all, Pharaoh and I had shared some very passionate moments without Tommy in the past but this felt different. Tommy always _knew_ I was with Pharaoh. Tommy was always aware of it, but now? I had absolutely no idea that Tommy had been in the Pharaoh's chambers last night.

And it appeared that nobody was keen on telling me either.

Suddenly I felt my heart icing over. Couldn't Pharaoh see how I felt about him? At first I always mistook the fast heart beat and the over sensitive embarrassment to being caused by who Pharaoh was. His title as the Pharaoh of all Egypt was intimidating but after discussing love with Tommy, I questioned my reactions to being around Pharaoh, and even Tommy. Eventually I realized I had fallen in love with Pharaoh and, as much as it made me sound like a tramp, I had always had feeling towards Tommy. From day one that boy was nothing but kind and caring towards me.

But now? Now I felt almost betrayed. Perhaps it was stupid and irrational but that's how I felt and when the first course of our three course breakfast was set down in front of us, I didn't touch it. I was almost certain that I wouldn't be able to keep anything I ate down.

Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. As the second course was presented to the few seated, I still had not touched my first plate. My utensils were still neatly arranged on a clean cloth. While everyone else finished their first course and wiped their mouths, I sat, starring at the food in front of me with absolutely no desire to touch it.

"Drake?" Pharaoh's voice startled me out of my spacing state. I looked over at him but I did not say a word. "What's the matter?" he asked, reaching out and cupping my cheek gently in his hand. I pulled out of his reach, frowning fiercely.

"Nothing. I'm not hungry, My Pharaoh," I said, my tone neutral and unfeeling. Tommy looked up at me finally, his eyes filling with instant worry. Good to know that now you care, Tommy. You obviously didn't care last night when you ran off to screw the Pharaoh for the thousandth time in your life.

 _Whoa… Drake, calm down. Tommy was only performing the service he was brought here for. No reason for you to get so upset about that…_ But I was upset about it. I wanted Pharaoh to call me back to his bedroom and just go crazy on me the way he went crazy on Tommy last night. I wanted him to touch me and kiss me. I wanted him to stick his fingers in places they shouldn't have been… I wanted him to… Fuck.

"I apologize," I said, standing from the table and making my way to the door.

"Drake! Drake, wait. Honey," Pharaoh said, starting to push himself from his chair at the head of the table, but I was already gone. My sandals scrapped the stones as I ran through the corridors back to my room. The only thing I wanted now was to curl up on my bed. At least there I didn't have to see so many horrible things. At least there I had comfort and stability. Even if that happened to be my own… "Drake!" I heard Pharaoh calling after me but it was faint. I was too far gone. People didn't realize just how fast I could run. I wasn't nearly as tall as Pharaoh, but I was, by no means, short and my lean, small frame made it easy to move quickly without getting too winded.

Pushing the door to my bedroom open was like walking into my own safe haven. It was the one place where I could do and be anything I wanted without fear of being judged by others. Without having to worry about pleasing Pharaoh or anyone else. Here I was free, but the moment I stepped into the room, something felt wrong. The atmosphere of the room was all wrong. It felt like I had fallen into one of my nightmares. Maybe I was in one…

"Hello?" I called out mindlessly, like a child would, but I heard no sound. It felt like there was someone looming behind me, waiting for the kill, but there was no one. The only disturbance in the room was my bed. There seemed to be a few pillows stuffed under the sheets, but I couldn't explain how that happened without someone coming in while I was gone. I never used the blankets or sheets provided for me because the Egyptian heat kept me plenty warm.

My stomach rolled over as I walked over to the bed. I couldn't explain my nervousness, other than the fact that someone must have been in my room. Even still, what was the worst I would find under the sheets? Surely the bulk was only a few pillows. Despite logic, my nerves were ranging off the charts and my hands were shaking slightly as I reached forward, taking the sheets into my hands.

I stood there for several long minutes, fighting with myself to just pull the sheet off. I was afraid to though and I kept glancing over my shoulder as if Brad was going to appear behind me. Nobody was in the room but me. I had to keep telling myself that nobody was in the room except for me as I pulled the sheet away from the bulk underneath. Nobody was in the room except for me-

And my little sister.

I gasped, staring down at the little girl. She wasn't even five years old yet. Her birthday was in less than a month and her brown hair fanned out around her head. Her hands were folded neatly over her chest, as if posed to look like a mummified deceased person awaiting burial in a sarcophagus.

Surely she had to be asleep… How did she get here? Who brought her here and why was she placed under my bed sheets like _she_ was a mummy awaiting burial? Ra, please no…

"Anna? Sweetie?" I whispered, shaking the girl lightly. Like me, she had always been a heavy sleeper, but shaking her a little usually woke her up. "Anna, honey, you need to wake up…" I begged, a little too loudly, but her head just lulled to the side. There was a thing, dark bruised line around her neck and I knew _exactly_ what it was, but I didn't want to believe it. "Anna! Honey, you need to wake up!" I shouted, pulling the little girl into my arms. Tears started to pool into my vision. Not Anna… Anyone but her…

"Somebody help me!" I shouted. I could feel dampness of her back and just by look at the sheet under the one that covered her, I knew it was blood. It was still warm… She hadn't been like this for very long, but if someone killed her by strangling her, why would they need to cut up her back?

 _Shut up, Drake! She isn't dead!_ My subconscious was hissing at me but I knew, deep down, that my little girl had been murdered. _"Please!"_ I shouted for someone, anyone that could help me.

"Drake? Drake, what the Hell is going on?" Tommy shouted, appearing in the doorway and only a second later Pharaoh was behind him.

I was on my knees next to my bed, clenching my little sister to my chest. Her blood was seeping through my clothing and onto the skin of my arms and thighs. "Please help me…" I cried, tears splashing down my cheeks as both ran over to me, kneeling down next to me. "Please…" I begged, bowing my head over my sister's tiny body.

"Oh Ra… Drake…" Pharaoh whispered, putting his hands gently on my shoulders as he stared down at the little girl. "Honey, you… you need to let go of her. She's… passed the point of being helped," he added, moving to kneel in front of me. He reached for Anna but I held her back.

"Don't. Don't you _dare_ touch her!" I shouted at him, feeling anger boiling through my blood. If only I was at home with my mother and my younger siblings, taking care of them and protecting them like I should have been! This would NOT be happening if I was home… _Drake, you are home…_

"Drake…" Tommy whispered, his hand resting gently on my thigh as he knelt down next to Pharaoh. I don't think either of them needed to ask who Anna was. I had told them both about my family. They both knew so much about me. It wasn't hard to figure out that this little girl was my youngest sister. She looked just like me…

I didn't look at either of them. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the girl's face. "No!" I hissed. "No! She _can't_ be dead! She can't! I promised I would always take care of her! I _promised_!" I cried, holding the girl's body tightly against my own. "She can't be dead! She wasn't even five! She… she can't be!" My voice was fluctuating between shouting and whimpering. I couldn't believe this was really happening. Brad was in prison, right? So how could my sister have turned up dead in my room?!

Ra, please tell me this is just another nightmare. Please let me wake up…

"Drake… She's gone…" Pharaoh whispered, reached forward to push the hair that had fallen out of my ponytail out of my face. "Baby… I know this is horrible, but you need to let her go. She's gone…"

The tears only started flowing harder. My little sister, my little Anna couldn't be gone! She was barely even on this Earth at all! She hadn't lived yet. She hadn't fallen in love and had a family of her own! She…she couldn't be gone, she just couldn't be. "No… No, she's… she can't be…" I cried. "Not her… Not because of me. No…"

Pharaoh moved to sit next to me, his arm wrapping tightly around my shoulders. "Baby, it isn't your fault… This is not your fault," he said firmly, but it was a bunch of bull shit.

"Yes it is! If I didn't tell you what Brad was doing to me, she wouldn't be dead!" I shouted, wanting to pull out of his hold but with my sister still clenched in my arms, it was nearly impossible. "This is all my fault… I wasn't there to protect her… She always counted on me. She thought I was her daddy. Her _daddy_ , Adam! And I let this happen to her…" Pharaoh pressed a soothing kiss into my hair and I nearly lost it. I was shaking so bad I could actually see my sister's body trembling because of my shaking.

"Tommy, go tell my guards to go find Drake's family. Make sure that the rest are still safe and remain that way," Pharaoh said. Tommy looked like he didn't want to leave, but he nodded after a moment and he stood, hurrying off to find Pharaoh's guards. I prayed to the Gods that none of my other family members were hurt or dead. I couldn't even forgive myself for Anna…

"Drake, baby…" Pharaoh whispered once Tommy was gone. "I know this is so terrible. This is… beyond terrible and I know it's eating at you, but you need to let her go. We will have a proper ceremony for her and we will give her the honor she deserves. I know Bradley did this… and whoever helped him, I promise you, I will find and they will suffer with Bradley." He pressed another kiss into my hair and I just cried out again.

Anna, in a way, was my baby. She wasn't physically my daughter but she was more of a daughter than a sister because she was so young. My father had passed away during the time my mother was pregnant with Anna and, since I was the oldest and the one to always take care of her, she became extremely used to calling me "daddy". I _was_ her daddy because her real father wasn't there for her. Not that he was there for any of his children when he actually was alive…

Anna…

"I can't… I can't let her go, Adam… I can't. She's my baby girl…" I whispered, misery and pain filling every pore of my body. "I was supposed to protect her and I couldn't… I was supposed to take care of her and I didn't. I was her daddy and I let this happen to her!"

Adam- Pharaoh- _Whatever!_ , pulled me tightly into his lap. "Drake… this is not your fault. This will never be your fault. This is all that sick fuck, Bradley's fault… I can't imagine how awful this is… Just watching it is hard.. Ra… Baby…" he whispered into my hair and he just held my trembling frame to him as I cried over my loss. My poor baby… Actually cried was an understatement. I wept for my sister, my baby girl…

"She didn't deserve this… She was only four. She hasn't even lived yet and somebody stole her life!" I exclaimed, leaning back into Adam's hold. "She was only four…"

Adam held me tightly, muttering soft comforts into my hair until Tommy came back. "The guards are on their way to Drake's family… They will report back as soon as they get there…" Tommy said, walking back over to us. He knelt in front of me. My tears had stopped simply because I couldn't cry anymore. The tears had run dry, but I was still shaking with sobs that were no longer coming. "Drake… baby…" he whispered, cupping my face in his hands. "We need to move her. Take her to be made beautiful for her trip to the after life…"

"Tommy's right, Drake. It is the best way we can honor her," Adam whispered and I simply nodded. My mind and my body were both too exhausted to fight back or argue. As long as they didn't make me let go of her until she was in good hands, I had no reason to argue with them. Tommy took my arms into his hands and he helped pull me up and Adam pushed me to my feet, Anna still held tightly against my chest.

Blood covered my thighs and, if someone didn't know better, they would have probably assumed I was raped again. But I didn't care that I was covered in Anna's blood. She was my sister, no. She was my daughter and I would never be ashamed to hold her and bare her, no matter what state she was in.

"Come on, baby," Adam whispered, taking my arm gently in his hand and he lead me out of my room, down never ending corridors. I wasn't sure how long we walked but I was aware of nothing more than the weight of my dead baby in my arms. She would never breathe or live her life. I would never get to see her grow up to be a head turning beauty. I would never get to protect her from all the crazy boys that would try to court her. I would never get to give her away at her wedding or see her raise her own family. I would never be able to comfort her when she came to me for the first time saying she was pregnant and telling me how frightened she was…

 _Anna… I am so sorry, baby girl. I am so sorry for letting this happen to you…_


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two: See the love there that's sleeping…**

 **Adam's POV**

It was painful to watch Drake sit through the first course of breakfast, staring at his plate and not showing any desire to eat. He'd been trying so hard to please me by eating and rebuilding his lost strength, and now he wasn't? It broke my heart to watch him sit and stare, and it hurt even more so when I reached out to touch his cheek and he pulled away as if not finding comfort in it.

I tried to get him to stop when he barged out of the breakfast hall. I tried calling after to him to try and talk to him, but he didn't listen to me. He fled like I was a hawk and he was the prey. My heart shuddered as I shot from my seat to follow him, pushing open the doors to the hall. I glanced, seeing him racing down before turning around a corner, heading to his room. I called after him again, stepping out and letting the door swing shut. But he did not return to me.

"Drake…" I whispered, taking another step forward. My heart was breaking more and more as I stared down the emptiness of the hallway. I heard the door click open but I didn't turn to see who it was. Not that it mattered, because I saw Tommy's hair and thin body out of the corner of my eye. He placed his hand on my shoulder, comforting and warm, but his focus was at the end of the hall, like mine.

"Why did he run?" I asked to no one in particular, but Tommy sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"I.. I wish I knew. Perhaps he is just not feeling well, My Pharaoh?" Tommy suggest. I frowned, shaking my head and walking forward in the direction that Drake had run and disappeared. Tommy fell in step beside me, his legs having to take shorter, faster strides in order to keep up with me.

"Then he should have told me that. But he ran off like… Like he didn't want to talk to me or be around me. That scares me, Tommy… You saw him, he didn't eat anything on his plate!" I exclaimed, looking down at the blond as we walked. Tommy was silent for a moment, his hands at his sides.

"I… I can't speak for him, My Pharaoh. I do not know what would be on his mind to cause him to act in such a way…" Tommy's voice sounded too… Strained. His words were forced. I frowned, glancing over at him. I opened my mouth to speak when I heard someone screaming for help. My heart froze in my chest and Tommy and I both stopped in mid step, staring down at the end of the hall. We glanced at each other, our eyes wide and seeing into each other's worst fears.

 _Drake_.

Tommy turned, taking off only a moment before me. Because of his head start and leg strength, he kept a decent lead on me, but I was able to keep up with him. My trousers— simply white with a blue, red and gold waistband, the ends tucked around my knees— clung to my thighs as I ran, flapping loose around the knees. My necklaces and golden bands bounced on and off my chest, beating in time with my hair as my hair blew out of my face. I turned a corner, following Tommy down to the end of the hallway where his and Drake's rooms where.

Drake screamed again for help as Tommy slowed, plowing through Drake's door. I came up behind him, breathless and pumped with adrenaline when I saw Drake slumped on his knees on the floor, cradling a small, bloody child in his arms. Tears were streaming his face as he held her. Her hair, thin and short, was brown, like his, her face young and boyish. Her resemblance to Drake was striking, and I knew, instantly, that she had been his little sister.

We tried to get him to let her go. I even reached out to touch her, potentially take her from him to carry her to a proper place to be buried, but Drake would have none of that. He blatantly screamed at me, demanding me not to touch her. To be honest, I was shocked. No one had spoken to me like that before, and I wasn't too sure that I liked the idea. But I couldn't be mad at Drake for the way he talked. He was in heartache…

I sent Tommy out to inform the guards of the situation and to make sure that the rest of Drake's family was safe. I did not want any further harm to come to them knowing now what had happened to Drake's youngest sister. Seeing him so distraught and broken left me feeling… Feeling like I had failed him. Had I seen the signs of his discomfort with Brad, none of this would have happened. His sister would still be alive. He would've been able to watch her grow up…

I felt my heart clench and break as Drake spoke of his little sister as if she were his child. When he said how old she was, I, truly, felt my heart just crumble at the seams. She was only four? She had years… Dozens upon dozens of years ahead of her. And now she had none of it. Her time was spent. I always firmly believed that everything that happened was meant to happen, and that the timing was all in the work of the Universe and through the Gods. But this? This wasn't… This wasn't fair, it wasn't right. There was nothing to justify the means of this little girl's death, and, I swore to Drake and to myself, I was going to make whoever did this pay…

All I wanted was to hold him, kiss him and comfort him. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. Drake's sister wouldn't have been so brutally murdered if I'd just seen… No… If I hadn't taken him from home. Upon realizing this, I said very little after Tommy came in and helped me pull Drake to his feet. Then I said nothing as we walked down the hall towards… Wherever…

My mind was just racing as I walked beside Drake, holding him under my arm as he carried his deceased sister. Tommy kept whispering soft words of comfort to him, but I couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say, even as Tommy and I took Drake to a small sort of medical room in the palace. Except it wasn't really. It was… More or less a place for those who'd passed on and needed to be prepared for the afterlife.

The walls were a soft sandstone color, the floor the same stone that spread through the entire palace. There were counters and containers, boxes and supplies. There were a few stone tables build on top of the floor, separated by thick curtains for privacy. Some were open, some were closed. Drake carried her over to an empty, open table, but he didn't put her down yet. He just…

He held her for a long time, seeming to believe that, if he set her down onto the table, he, himself, would fall apart. That, without her, he'd never feel right or whole. I understood that pain. I understood that grief. For a moment, I wasn't staring at Drake as he set his baby girl onto the table, cradling her head in his arms, continuing to weep. I was seeing myself when Neil had died… When my mother died… When Alexander…

I gasped softly and Tommy turned, looking at me with a frown. I felt the sting in the back of my eyes as tears were slowly building, but I just shook my head, looking away from him. My heart was clenching in my chest as my hands trembled at my sides. My brother had died when I was twelve. My mother had died shortly after my twenty fifth birthday… Alexander only a little over a month after her… And yet… Despite my family, his death seemed, to me, to leave the worst burn—

 _Stop thinking about Alexander! Stop it! It'll only make you feel worse…_ I told myself, inhaling slowly. I blinked away the tears that wanted to fall, trying to calm myself down as I watched Drake brush his sister's hair out of her lifeless face. Even in death, she was adorable. And I could see, had she lived, she would have turned into quite the beautiful woman. Tommy put his hand on Drake's back, right between his shoulder blades as Drake leaned into the blond's embrace, his hands falling away from his sister, leaving her on the table. He choked, curling up in Tommy's arms as he began to weep.

My bit down on my lip, looking away from them. My heart clenched with pain and.. anger. Anger at myself. I should be the one holding him. Comforting him. But I was too selfish in my own inner grief, wallowing in it as Drake suffered before my eyes. I inhaled slowly, wanting to run away, but, instead, I pushed forward, taking Drake and pulling him deep into my arms. He cried against my bare chest, his tears splattering on my skin and rolling down.

"Ssh, baby… It's okay…" I told him, knowing fully that I was lying. It wasn't going to be okay. His baby sister had died and… It was all my fault. There were many potential things that could've prevented this from ever happening. If I'd seen the signs, if I'd protected Drake like I should've, if I hadn't taken him from his family in the first place, regardless of being unable to pay…

Drake didn't speak, he just cried. I inhaled slowly again, kissing his hair before looking up over at Tommy. "Tommy, can you take Drake back to your room? Stay with him? I… I need to speak with the caretaker, begin preparations for his sister…" I told him. Tommy's eyes narrowed warily, and he looked like he wanted to retaliate, but he didn't. He sighed, nodding once and taking the weeping youth from my arms, gently walking with him back to their rooms.

I watched them leave, feeling a heavy ache resting in my heart. I should've been the one to take him back, but I just couldn't. He was grieving and in need and all I could think about was the pain I'd felt in losing Alexander. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will away my dead lover's name. Why was Alexander the only thing I could think about when I saw Drake?

 _Tommy was right_ … No. No, Tommy was wrong. I wasn't confusing them. I wasn't covering Drake with Alexander's memory. Drake was Drake, I knew that. I could see that. Though their personalities and physical appearances were similar, Drake was his own person and he wasn't, in any fashion, connected to my love. But, even with these thoughts, tears flowed down my cheeks and I shook once with a sob.

I was a fool. I was a fool in not seeing how horrible of a person Brad had become. In not seeing that Drake needed me when Brad was hurting him. In taking Drake from his home. I took away his family's oldest son. I took away a key figure in their chance for survival, one, because they couldn't keep up with taxes, and, two, because I was selfish. I wanted another boy. I wanted another person to fuck and own and use like a bottle of whiskey to cover up the pain of loss…

I shook my head, turning and looking at the young girl's body. Her arms were at her sides and her eyes were closed. She looked like she was sleeping, minus the bruising of a rope from around her neck. I reached out, touching the back of her hand, my heart half expecting her eyes to open. Right. As if a single touch could bring back what was lost to this realm. If that had been the case… So many people would still be alive…

"I'm sorry," I whispered to her, knowing fully she would never respond to me. But, I had to hope that she could hear me, even in the afterlife. I had to hope that she understood how guilty and sorrowful I felt for her and her brother. And that, if I could, I would take it all back and start anew. I would do things differently…

But would I stop myself from taking Drake away? I stared at the girl, my fingers brushing along her pale wrist. I took a step closer to her, bending down and pressing my lips to her cold forehead. Her skin shocked me, almost, with the temperature difference. If I could have, I would've given everything up to bring her back. My royalty. My fortune. My home. My possessions. My title… Everything… Just to give Drake something to smile for again…

Drake… I'm so sorry…


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Where They Become So Known  
Tommy's POV**

Drake had been, more or less, an emotional wreck since the day he found his sister dead in his room. He still refused to step foot into the room and her death was over a week ago. He wouldn't leave my room at all. Most of the time, he was curled up on my bed, staring at the ceiling or the wall. He only ate when I forced him to. I was not about to stand aside and watch him wither away to nothing like he had when Brad was hurting him…

Everything I tried to cheer him up failed. Everything that usually made him smile or made him laugh didn't have any affect on him. He never smiled and he never laughed. All I saw when I looked at the boy was a sack of misery. All I wanted to do was make him feel better. I wanted to take this beautiful boy and restore him to his former essence, before Brad hurt him and his sister.

Anna's death was a huge loss for him. He spent a lot of time talking to me about her and he sounded like a grieving father more than a brother. It was obvious to anyone who looked at Drake; he loved his youngest sister as if she were his biological daughter and he was never going to forgive himself for what had happened to her.

But Anna was not the only root of his depression.

Since Pharaoh had found out about what Brad had been doing to Drake, he was rather withdrawn from the boy. In public settings he was perfectly fine but he would not be alone with the boy. He would not hold Drake or kiss him. He would not even consider touching him in any "inappropriate" way. In a way, I could not blame Pharaoh for being afraid to touch Drake. After all, the boy had been molested, raped and mutilated, but I knew that Drake longed for Pharaoh to touch him again. Drake was in love with Pharaoh. I could see it in his eyes and every day Pharaoh called me to his bed without or instead of Drake, I knew it was killing him.

This depression was rooted before Anna's death. That incident only magnified the initial feelings of loneliness and unwantedness. Even when Drake found out that the rest of his family was alright and that they were being protected, he didn't seem happy. Not even a ghost of a smile on his lips. I knew it was because he lost his baby girl, Anna, but I also knew that it was because he felt he was losing Pharaoh.

The poor boy didn't even realize that he really never had Pharaoh to begin with. Every time Pharaoh looked at Drake, he saw his dead lover instead. That was proven to me when he slapped me hard enough to throw me down a set of stairs. When I even mentioned Pharaoh treating Drake as if he were someone he wasn't, he lashed out at me. He views had not changed and that angered me.

Pharaoh was my best friend, yes, but sometimes he was dumber than a rock. Honestly, just because he was the King of Egypt did not mean that he could just take anyone's heart he desired. Who was he to play with a perfect boy's heart? Drake was so in love with him that he was blinded but I wasn't. Pharaoh wanted Drake for some very… selfish reasons and that made me angrier than anything else. Who was Adam to claim a young boy's heart when there were others who _truly_ loved him… People who would do anything to win his affections?

Part of me felt guilty for feeling so hostile towards Pharaoh. I knew that at least part of his heart did love Drake, he just couldn't move past this constant haze Alexander had left around him to see that Drake truly was the perfect boy…

Drake had pulled himself into a tight ball on the edge of my bed and his deep, even breathing told me that he was asleep. I was happy to see him sleeping somewhat peacefully, because he hadn't slept well since his sister died. I didn't want to disturb him, so I left the room quietly, walking aimlessly throughout the palace until I came to a halt in front of the library's massive wooden doors.

I simply stood there for several long minutes, staring at the carvings in the doors. I wanted to walk away but I had this urge to go in… so I pushed the doors open and entered slowly. The room, despite Egyptian heat, seemed extremely cold, as if haunted by thousands upon thousands of horrid memories. I ventured to the center of the library where Alexander's peacock statue stood. I never understood the statue or how Pharaoh had ever come up with the design, but I did not believe it was as beautiful as I probably should have thought…

"Alexander?" I said to the massive bird, standing just behind the carpet placed in front of it. After Drake confessed to what Bradley had done to him, the carpet he was raped on had been burned and a fresh one had been laid but I did not want to stand upon the spot where Drake suffered so much. If I could have, I would have ended Brad's life myself…

Silence filled the room for several long minutes and, for some reason, that only made me angrier. "Is this your idea of a sick joke? I apologize. I know you were gone before I ever came along, but are the people who have passed to the after life not supposed to look after the living? Why would you let Brad rape Drake right in front of you?" Everything sounded irrational and at the very same time, it sounded completely right. "Do you envy Drake for being here with Adam? Are you angry that Adam has been looking for another to love? Do you despise that innocent boy so much that you would have him suffer in front of your eyes?"

I waited for some sort of response but there was none. I knew there would never be one, but that didn't mean I couldn't hope for one. "If that is true, then I cannot believe that Adam ever loved you. The man he told me about was caring and passionate. That man would never wish misfortune on anybody and he certainly would not allow the one person that can potentially make Adam happy after his great loss suffer so much. I cannot believe that you wanted this for Drake, but I cannot see anything to disprove that."

Silence again, for a longer pause this time. I sighed, staring the peacock statue dead in the eye. "Can you not release Adam's heart so he may once again feel love, Alexander? If the man he told me about was you, surely you can see that he is suffering and, without love from someone _living_ he will fall apart completely. This will _destroy him_! Is that what you want?!"

The peacock stared back at me with cold, unfeeling eyes. The exact opposite of Drake's usual bright, beautiful eyes that were so often filled with life and wonder. That was not true as of late, but it had to return at some point… His will to live had to come back.

"I pray that my current view of you is wrong, Alexander, but if it is not, you are a cruel man who never deserved the love you received from Pharaoh. Please… You must understand that he will always love you. He will never stop loving you but you must release his heart or he will be in misery until the day he too is buried," I said, my voice falling into a soft whimper.

Suddenly I felt foolish for coming to the library in the first place. Look at me! I was standing here, talking to a statue. Honestly? What the hell was wrong with me anyway? I sighed, rubbing my temples as I turned away from the statue, walking back out into the corridor. The halls were quiet. Not many people were out at this hour. What time was it anyway?

"Tommy?" I blinked, turning my head to meet bright blue eyes of the Pharaoh. "What are you doing out here so late at night? Shouldn't you be with Drake?" he asked, walking up to me.

I frowned. "I could ask the same questions of you, My Pharaoh," I whispered, bowing my head lightly. I had spent several of my nights since Drake's sister passed, with Pharaoh. He seemed to need my provisions more often than before. Perhaps he was attempting to cover up his want for Drake with his want for me.

"I beg pardon?" he asked, blinking at me. Why did the King of Egypt have to be so stupid when it came to his boys? He was wise and compassionate for all of his kingdom, but when it came to Drake and I, he might as well not have a brain at all.

"Drake was sleeping and I did not want to disturb him with my restlessness, so I took a walk," I explained, looking up at him after a moment of staring at his feet. "I know I should be with him but… with all due respect My Pharaoh, so should you," I continued, staring him dead in the eye just as I had done with Alexander's statue not moments ago.

It was his turn to frown as he looked away from me. "I'm probably the last person Drake needs right now, Tommy… His suffering, his sister's death… Those were all my fault," he whispered, sounding small and pathetic. For about half a second, I considered slapping him, but I refrained from that. Ra, the trouble I would be in if I slapped the Pharaoh!

"It is extremely foolish of you to believe Drake blames you for anything that has happened to him. In fact, you are the only person in this world that Drake wants to be with right now. You should not be ignoring him like this, My Pharaoh, it's tearing him apart," I said, crossing my arms over my chest to attempt a little emphasis.

His eyes were dark and clouded with thousands of conflicting emotions. "No, the loss of his sister is tearing him apart. I'm simply the person who caused all of his guilt…" he whispered again, refusing to meet my eyes.

"That isn't true, Pharaoh. You _know_ that isn't true," I said, taking his face into my hands so he had to look at me as I spoke to him. "Adam, that boy has given you everything. He let you take everything from him and you are really doing to repay him by ignoring him? You can't leave that boy to suffer alone. I am doing everything I can for him but it simply isn't enough. He _needs_ you and you aren't there for him like you _promised_ you always would be!"

Pharaoh, I knew, wanted nothing more than to look away from me but he couldn't. I would not allow him to break our gaze because the more he looked into my eyes, the more my message sank in. "But Tommy, I…"

"But nothing," I cut him off. "That boy's heart is breaking apart in his chest and you are the only person who can hold it together. I've been trying and every day he just get more depressed. Adam please, I am asking you as my friend, not my master, to go be with Drake. He needs you more than anyone else in all of Egypt needs you and the longer you ignore him, the more damaged he is going to become…" His eyes were beginning to water along with my own. "Please… Please, Adam, he fucking needs you…"

His eyes shifted around the corridor, looking at anything to keep his eyes away from my own, but it did not matter. I could see guilt beginning to gnaw at him from the inside out. He knew that I was right be he was afraid to see Drake because he felt like a failure. He felt as if Drake would always blame him and would never want anything to do with him again.

But he was wrong.

He was _so_ wrong. "I…" Pharaoh began, biting down hard on his bottom lip. "I will see him, talk to him soon, but not tonight…" he said after several long, agonizing minutes.

"Why? Why can't you just go be with him, Adam? The longer you wait, the more and more he is going to fall away from you…" I warned, my tone soft but stern.

Adam only shook his head, a few tears beginning to trail down his cheeks. "He should sleep for now… I know he hasn't been getting much lately. You, yourself told me that. If he is sleeping peacefully I do not wish to bother him. That would not be fair…" he whispered, his eyes finally resting on mine again. "I need to… figure out what I'm going to say to him and I need to sort out my rampage of emotions and thoughts before trying to sooth him. I will… talk to him shortly, alright?"

Worry filled my being. Was Pharaoh lying to me? Would he continue to ignore Drake despite out talk? No. Pharaoh was an honorable man and he did everything he could to keep his word. It was different if something was simply out of his hands and out of his control, but when he had control over something, he always kept his word. "You promise?" I asked. I was done watching Drake suffer from so much heartache. If one part of the pain could subside, couldn't he begin to heal from the rest?

"I promise Tommy… I promise I will talk to him soon, just… let me figure things out first," he said, his tone shaking slightly, as if he were about to cry but he was trying so hard to hold the sobbing back so nobody would see it.

I frowned some. "Alright, My Pharaoh, but if I were you, I would not take too long 'figuring things out' because, if you wait too long to see him and talk to him, you will lose him completely…" I whispered. I bowed my head once more, out of respect for his title and I turned, leaving him alone in the corridor to ponder his own thoughts and his own sorrow. All I could think about was going back to Drake and holding him throughout the night, protecting him as much as I could from his demons. I would protect Drake for as long as I could and from as much as I could but I knew that simply was not enough to make the boy better. However… One thing was for sure-

If Adam would not be there for Drake when the boy needed him, I surely would be there.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four: The image of you won't go away…**

 **Drake's POV**

When I awoke, Tommy wasn't in the room. I assumed one thing, almost immediately. He was with Pharaoh, which seemed to be a norm as of late. For the past week, if Tommy wasn't with me, he was with Pharaoh fulfilling his duties as a pleasure servant. And this left me… Alone and unwanted, to say the least. Wasn't it my duty, too, to serve My Pharaoh? To let him touch me and kiss me? Then what's a servant to do when his master doesn't need his service?

I sighed, rubbing my eyes tiredly, but I stayed in my position on Tommy's bed. I hadn't gone back to my room since… Since I found Anna in there. I didn't want to go near it. As it was, being in Tommy's room was, sometimes, unbearable just because of close I was to that room, that bed, where I'd found her. Some nights, I wanted nothing more than to get far, far away from this part of the palace. Or, maybe, just the palace itself. There were good memories, don't get me wrong, but there were dark stains of pain that haunted me.

I curled into a tight ball, staring at the floor of Tommy's room and wanting so badly to go back to sleep. Despite sleeping so often, I always felt tired. Maybe that was because I wasn't doing anything, so my body was lazy. Maybe it was because of the heartache I was feeling. The yearning that had enveloped my being and the burn of rejection, among other things. I shuddered and, even though it was hotter than hell, I pulled the blanket tight around my body, sweat sliding down my face. I felt cold. I felt filthy…

I let my eyes drift shut, and I immediately pictured Pharaoh's face in my mind. His strong jaw line, smooth, soft lips, gentle and warm blue eyes. The way his hair framed his face and how beautiful he looked when he smiled. My heart jumped a beat before skipping and cracking as it felt back into rhythm. I frowned, whimpering softly, my hands clenching the left side of my chest. Why was I feeling this way? So heartbroken by being neglected by the one person I was told to trust?

Another beat caused the crack to spread and I groaned, breathing hard, squeezing my eyes shut. But it seemed that trying to get away from the visual of Pharaoh in my mind wasn't doing me any good. I drew his body in my mind, painting him in colors that did not justify his true, naked beauty. I shaded his eyes with the lust and desire that I missed seeing. He shifted behind my eyes, pressing his lips to my neck and, I swore, I felt them there. I felt their feathery touch, warm and sweet.

Beat. Crack. His sketched hands trailed down my shoulders, his face buried into my hair, drinking in my scent as he touched me like nothing had ever happened. Like my sister hadn't died and like Brad hadn't hurt me. Like everything was perfect. Sweat rolled down my face and I whimpered, hearing his breath in my ear. Beat. Crack. Beat. _Crack, crack, crack_.

"Stop it…" I whispered, trying to get my mind to stop. But even as I opened my eyes, staring up at the ceiling, I painted him in front of me, kneeling beside me and running his fingers through my hair. That gentle, compassionate smile on his face and such adoring love in his eyes… Love… I gasped for breath, uncurling enough to reach out and touch his face, only to have the vision in front of my eyes disappear like smoke.

"Please…" I moaned, closing my eyes again, letting my arm slack off the side of Tommy's bed. My chest ached with need and loss and desire and everything and anything that I'd never known before. I needed Pharaoh. I needed his love to burn away what Brad had done to me. I needed his hands to hold me and his lips to kiss me, his eyes to tell me he wanted and needed me just as much.

I groaned, rolling over and turning away from the door of Tommy's room, clenching my chest as Pharaoh's painted arms pulled me to his chest, his mouth leaving gentle kisses and words of passion and love in my skin. I wanted to reach back and touch him, but, I knew that if I tried, he wouldn't be there. He would disappear like smoke before reforming to haunt me. Sometimes, like now, I hated my artistic mind. I hated how I was able to recreate him just to torture myself. I hated…

I wanted to hate him.

I wanted to hate him and loathe him and scream at him and call him every horrible name that I could think of for abandoning me like this. I wanted to beat my fists into his chest and make him feel the pain I was feeling at not relishing in his touch and melting in his kiss. I wanted him to know that I loved him and he wasn't returning that love to me. I gasped, breathing hard and choking on a sob into Tommy's pillow.

I wanted to hate him, but I couldn't. I couldn't because I was in love with him, and, because of that, my heart cracked with each accelerated beat. Cracks formed cracks which formed more cracks until my heart was nothing more than a hardboiled eggshell, cracked into a thousand cracks and waiting to fall apart off the meat to be devoured. I wanted my heart to be devoured so I wouldn't have to feel this pain anymore, but I knew that I would never have such a wish granted.

I coughed, crying into Tommy's pillow. I was so lost in my tears and my grief for being so hopelessly devoted that I didn't hear the door open. I didn't even hear Tommy's footsteps, but I felt the shift in the bed and his arms looped around me. I went rigid for a moment before sniffling, coughing again. Tommy's gentle, warm arms tightened around me, pulling me into his chest. I adored Tommy, loved him even, but it was not the same. _He_ was not the same, as selfish as it sounded. I wanted Pharaoh. I _needed_ Pharaoh… I… needed Adam…

"Drake… Drake, love, please, don't cry…" Tommy whispered into my ear, running fingers through my hair. I choked on a sob, but no more tears fell. His breath fanned over my skin and, for a moment, I wanted to pretend that it was Adam. I wanted to pretend that Tommy's hands were Adam's and that his lips were Adam's… I wanted…

"Tommy," I mumbled, turning in his arms and curling up close to his chest. His neck was unmarked and he did not reek of sex, so my assumption had not been wrong. Or, if he had been with Adam, it was not for his regular duties. Tommy's hands rubbed my back soothingly, his plump lips pressing kisses into my hair. I wanted to feel those lips and…

"Tommy, please…" I moaned, tilting my head and kissing Tommy's throat. He shivered softly, a gentle breath passing through his lips. I kissed him again, licking and nipping his skin, tasting him. Tasting his essence that had so frequently been tasted by Adam. I moaned again, nipping harder. Tommy gasped, his hands weaving into my hair, pulling on it but pushing me closer. My hands roamed across his chest, nails digging and dragging and marking him. He hissed, arching into my touch.

I left claw marks in his skin, marking his neck. I was licking and biting and tasting so much I thought I tasted Adam's tongue on his skin. Perhaps it was my desperate imagination. Or maybe Tommy's flesh still held the lingering essence of the man I wanted so furiously it was driving me mad. I whined, one of my hands curling around the back of Tommy's neck, pulling him closer. One of my legs slid between his, my thigh sliding up and nudging his groin. He gasped, grinding into my leg before pushing me away.

"Drake, what are you doing?" He panted. I whined, nuzzling up close into his neck again, breathing and believing I smelled Adam there. It wasn't fair. _My_ skin should've been bathed in Adam's scent. _My_ tongue should've tasted Adam's. _My_ body should've been wreaked with Adam's love, but it wasn't. I… I'd been neglected. Denied my need for Adam's affections and his love. Denied my drug. Denied the love I needed.

"Tommy, please, just… Just let me," I whined, kissing the underside of his jaw. Tommy moaned and I thought I'd won the argument, but he pushed me away again, staring me in the eye. I blushed, biting down on my bottom lip.

"No, Drake… What's gotten into you?" Tommy's voice was concerned, affectionate and worried. All the things I wanted to hear in Adam's voice. But I had barely seen him since Anna was taken to be prepared and buried. He never really came to see me, never took me to dinner with the rest of the people we normally dined with. In fact, I barely ate unless Tommy forced me to by bringing food back for me. And even then, I wouldn't eat all of it.

I whimpered, looking away from Tommy's eyes and staring at the spots on his neck and chest that I had marked. Angry red welts from my nails and reddening teeth marks coated with a light sheen of my spit. I let my hands wander, sliding along the marks as tears began to well in my eyes. I didn't want to cry in front of him, but my heart was breaking further in my chest as I realized that I'd been so desperately selfish to release my desires for someone else onto him. But he hadn't pushed me away before I marked him. Did that… Could I…

"Drake?" Tommy whispered, curling a finger under my chin and lifting my head to meet his eyes again. The tears fell and I buried my face into his neck, crying again. He gasped, holding me, instantly, tight to his chest. "Baby?" I sobbed.

"I just… I… I just want to be loved. To be needed again. To be touched and valued and wanted and loved…" I wept into his chest, shaking against him. I wanted Adam to come in and sweep me out from this bed and take me to his chamber and whisper sweetness into my ears as he made love to me slowly, gently. I wanted his affection after I'd so eagerly thrown my heart to him…

"Please, Tommy… Please… Love me. Love me because.. I.. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep waking up without him.." I whispered, my heart shattering deeply in my chest, falling to pieces. I'd just… Told Tommy to, essentially, fill in for Adam… Like he was the temporary substitute to my selfish needs. I was so pathetic. "Please.. I.. I don't mean to be selfish and I know I'm asking so much, but.. I need him and he's not wanting me anymore and—" Tommy tilted my head up and he kissed me. He kissed me the way Adam used to always kiss me. Strong, hard and yet so full of love and desire. I moaned, tears falling down my face as my arms wrapped around Tommy's neck, pulling him closer.

Tommy shifted, pushing me flat onto my back as he kissed me, deeper and gentler than before. I moaned into his mouth, tangling my fingers into his hair as his hands wandered down to my hips. His fingers curled into the waistband of my trousers, pulling them down and tossing them aside. He reached up, ripping the blanket away, tossing it down to the floor with a soft _thump_. I moaned as the air kissed my sweaty skin, cooling me as Tommy nipped the side of my throat. He slid his hand down my chest, pushing my legs apart and nudging into me with a finger. I arched, gasping and moaning gently. Yes…

Tommy pushed the digit into me, moving his hand fluidly and slowly, at first, barely grazing that spot that sent shivers down my spine, making me groan quietly. He kissed my neck and chest, my lips and my hair. He didn't speak. I didn't open my eyes. I knew it was him, but my mind was showing Adam above me, leaving these kisses, touching me so gingerly that I thought it was all a dream. Tommy nudged that spot and I arched, moaning a little louder than before. He kissed my cheek, pushing in a second finger.

"F-fuck," I whimpered, my nails digging into Tommy's shoulders. In my mind, I saw Adam, but I couldn't touch him. I wouldn't dare. I didn't want him to disappear again. I bit down on my bottom lip as Tommy scissored me, moving his fingers in me, stretching me little by little. My broken heart was beating in individual pieces, each aching as they stitched themselves together with the threads of Tommy's love. It was temporary. Like a loose gathering. Something that would be properly fixed later…

Tommy moaned into my skin, pushing in a third, fucking me with his fingers. I was shaking, sweating and needing more… I could never get enough because I'd been deprived so long. I was aroused to the point of splitting in half, my erection curving up along my stomach, heavy and aching. Tommy pressed a kiss to my lips, allowing my tongue to push into his mouth, tasting him and groaning softly. I groaned, initially, because he was not Adam. And then I felt like a fool for thinking such a thought.

"T-Tommy, please…" I whined and he moaned gently, removing his fingers. I gasped as I heard him spit into his hand, no doubt to slick himself up, at least, a little. I kept my eyes closed, my back arched slightly as he kissed me again.

"Relax, Drake…" It was the first thing he'd said since coming into this room. Since pulling me into his arms and asking me what was wrong. I groaned, nodding once as he shifted my legs, wrapping them around his waist as he nudged into me, sliding slowly to allow me to accommodate. I gasped, moaning and shaking. Tommy was different from Adam. Whereas Adam was bulky and thick, Tommy was a little thinner, a little longer. He slid in easier and pushed into me deeper, sending stars across my vision.

He rested for a moment before rocking his hips once, making me gasp again. Tremors shot down my spine and I whimpered gently, my nails digging into his shoulders. His hands were on my hips, his face pressed to my neck as he pushed in again. It was too slow. Too experimental. I groaned, reaching up and threading my fingers into his hair, pulling as hard as I could. Tommy cried out, instinctively thrusting into me, _hard_ , and I choked on a scream.

"Drake?!" He asked, no doubt wondering if he'd hurt me. I moaned, shaking gently.

"Again… _Please_ …" I begged, my eyes squeezed shut. I heard Tommy let out a shaky breath before inhaling again, rocking his hips and slamming into me a second time. I arched, holding back a scream. It felt so… Amazing. It felt better than amazing, but I couldn't even think straight to try to describe how it felt. But it was definitely something I'd been missing… And if this was how Adam fucked Tommy, I wanted— no, _needed_ — more.

Tommy's pace began to build, stead, strong and hard as he thrust into me, ramming that spot each time. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. My back was in a constant arch, my head tilted back and my jaw dropped in breathy moans as Tommy kept his face tucked into my neck. It was like we had a silent agreement. We cared for each other. We loved each other as deeply as we were allowed, but this was not… This was different than two lovers sharing an act. This was.. I didn't even know what this was, but we both, subconsciously, knew. And we agreed.

"More, more, fuck! Please!" I cried, tightening my legs around Tommy's waist, pushing him deeper, if that was possible. He was grunting and groaning into my neck, breathing hard and shaking above and in me. I tugged on his hair, forcing a strangled cry from his plump lips and he twitched, slamming harder than usual into me. I cried out, feeling the coil of pleasure tightening in my stomach. I was close. So, so dangerously close.

"Tommy… Tommy, please, I… Fuck!" I groaned, arching up further so that our chests were pressed together. "Harder… _Harder_ …" I pleaded. Tommy moaned, gripping my hips so tightly I was sure that I would have bruises by morning, and he slammed repeatedly into me. I raked my nails down his back, crying out as he pounded in me, fucking me the way I'd always dreamed but been too shy to ask for. All the while, behind my closed eyes, I saw Adam's face, twisted in lust and desire as he breathed, moaning and pounding into me. I wanted to touch him…

"Adam…" It slipped from my tongue and I wasn't even aware that it had as Tommy reached down, gripping my member and pumping all of three times. I arched, screaming as I came onto his stomach as well as my own, and I felt a surge of pleasure roll of his body as he came into me. He gasped, falling on top of me, breathing against my neck. He was shaking, as was I, his member still buried deep inside of me. I panted, my eyes shut as I tried to catch my breath.

My eyes opened and I glanced down at Tommy, whose face was still hidden in my neck. I reached up, running my fingers through his hair, but I felt… Guilty. I'd used him, to say the least. I'd used him to keep myself from going insane. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to tell him I was sorry that I made him do this, but as I opened my mouth I heard a noise. I turned my head, seeing matching blue eyes staring at me from the doorway. My stitched heart unraveled and began to burn in regret as I stared at Adam's shocked and distraught face.

"Adam," I whispered again, but he was already gone.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Falling Into the Oblivion of My Heart  
Adam's POV**

Tommy's words haunted for a long time. Every single time I thought I was going to get a moment of peace, Tommy's voice popped into my head saying _'If you wait to long, you will lose him completely'_. The thought of losing Drake to depression or another man or death itself terrified me. Had I not suffered enough loss with Alexander's death? With my little brother's death? With my mother's death? Hadn't I experienced enough heartache for one life time?

I could not lose Drake too.

And I knew I had to see him, talk to him and tell him what an idiot I was for ignoring him. Explain to him why I was afraid to get to close and how I felt that his misery was all my fault. Tommy was right, of course. I don't ever remember I time where he told me something extremely important and it was wrong. He may not know much about ruling a kingdom but he knew a lot about people and, as upsetting as it was for me to know, he knew Drake better than I did. He spent a lot more time with Drake. I regretted that dearly but how could I make it up to him?

 _By getting off of you cowardly ass and going to talk to him,_ my heart hissed at my brain. My entire body was in a war with itself as I stared into my vanity mirror. As much as Drake reminded me of Alexander, there was something else. Something that Alexander never had but Drake possessed. I was afraid to know what that was. I felt guilty for… well for thinking that I could love anyone but Alexander, but at the same time I was angry at myself for believing Alexander would ever be so selfish. He would want me to be happy with someone who cared about me as much, if not more, than he had.

But was that person Drake? How stupid of a question was that really? Drake was perfect. A perfect lover, yes, but he was so much more than that. The night after Brad and Cassidy's arrival, Drake was not in my room for sex. By the way he held me and the way he begged me to take him, I knew he needed me for more than physical satisfaction and I was a fool to believe that he no longer wanted me. How badly was I hurting Drake by ignoring him now?

So many questions, mostly about Drake and how I felt about him, buzzed through my mind in one giant wave of confusion. However, one question stood out among the rest. Well, technically two questions but they were related: Was Drake in love with me? And was I in love with Drake or the memory Tommy claimed I had been wrapping Drake in?

My brain told me that it was not love for Drake but for who he represented but my heart? My heart sang a completely different tune. My heart told me that I was the biggest moron on the planet for believing that I didn't love Drake. It was basically shouting at me to go be with the boy. To beg his forgiveness and tell him how much I needed him. How much I loved him. Never before had my heart lied to me, so I had to believe, despite what my brain was hissing at me, that I was very much in love with Drake, not because of his closeness to my dead lover but because of who he was. Logic fought back against love but honestly, it wasn't a fair fight in the least.

My heart won out.

I needed to see Drake. I needed to drop to my knees and beg him to forgive me for my foolishness if it came to that. I may have been the Pharaoh of Egypt, but titles meant nothing when it came to love. This was the second time I had fallen in love with a servant of mine and I was not ashamed of that. I was not too proud to beg if it was needed to win back my love's affection.

"So why are you sitting here, staring at yourself, Adam?! Get up and go to him! Right. Now!" I hissed at my reflection, as if it was really the mirror hissing at me.

I sighed, fixing the make-up I had ruined before pushing myself up from the chair set in front of my vanity. "Alright, I'm going," I said, defeated by myself. Ra, I sounded like I was going insane right now.

The walk from my chambers to Drake and Tommy's was a decent walk. Probably between a quarter of a mile and half of a mile. I didn't mind walking. In fact, I found it rather nice because that gave me time to either think or just clear my head. Using the walking time to figure out what I was going to say to Drake seemed like the perfect idea but I could think of almost nothing. By the time I was half way to Drake's room, I still couldn't think of anything and I was beginning to get extremely frustrated with myself. Why was it so hard to think of something to say to the boy I loved?!

By the time I reached Drake and Tommy's door, I had just given up on attempting to think of something loving and romantic. When I saw Drake so heartbroken because of me, I knew that my heart would just pour out of my mouth. I probably wouldn't even need to think of what I was going to say, it would just come out. That's how it worked. You see how much you hurt the person you love, you feel like shit and you pour out your heart and soul into an apology that you didn't ever think you would say.

I gripped the door, holding it tightly in my hands, but for some reason, I could not bring myself to open it right away. Fear was boiling into my stomach. What exactly was I going to see when I opened this door? I hadn't seen Drake since… well since he found his little sister, his daughter dead in his bed. He was painful to watch then, but now? Now that the depression had spread through his being?

"Just do it, Adam. You are not doing yourself or Drake any favors by being a giant pussy, alright? Just… open the door and go in already. Talk to him and make this better… You _need_ to," I whispered to myself and finally, I turned the handle, pushing the wood door open slowly.

The only two things I saw in the room were my boys, both completely bare and drenched in sweat. For a moment, I believe I was dreaming or I was hallucinating but when I closed my eyes to clear my mind, I could still hear Tommy's heavy breathing and Drake's near screams from pleasure. They were both so far gone that they had no idea I was standing there, _watching_ them have sex.

Drake's legs were wrapped tightly around Tommy's waist, pulling him deeper and deeper with every thrust and every time Tommy dove into him, no doubt hitting his sweet spot every time, Drake arched into the blond, crying out again and again. I wanted to be angry with both of them, but the truth was that I was only feeling heartbroken. It should have been _me_ mounted on top of Drake, making love to him like he was _my_ lover! He _was_ my lover! Drake was _mine_ and Tommy had absolutely no right to touch him!

When he said 'you'll lose him completely', I never imagined it would be to him. Had Tommy been planning this from the beginning? If I didn't prove my love to Drake quickly, he was simply going to take from me what was mine? At that moment, I wanted to kill Tommy. Alright, that was a little extreme, but I wanted to rip him away from Drake, probably hit him and demand to know who he thought he was. Just because I hadn't been with Drake lately did _not_ make him free game.

Drake was _mine_!

And now Tommy was marking him, claiming him as if Drake was made for him.

No matter how badly I wanted to scream and shout and demand Tommy to get off of Drake and never touch him again, I couldn't. I simply stared at my boys, watching as Tommy's thrusts became less fluid, closer to his release. Drake moaned my name once and, for a minute, I believed he was talking to me but when I looked at his face, I realized that he wasn't even aware that I was watching him.

Then why did Drake moan my name? Was he… pretending Tommy was me? No, of course not. That was ridiculous. Perhaps it just slipped. Whatever the reason, I did not care. Tommy was fucking my love, _my_ perfect boy and my heart was grumbling away to nothing. My heart had just finished stitching itself back together since I lost Alexander and now, all of those years of recovery were meaningless.

Clearly I was in love with this boy if seeing him with another man, another one of my servants, was hurting me so badly. Tears flooded into my vision as Tommy clasped into Drake, breathing hard into his neck. Drake's fingers carelessly ran through Tommy's hair but his eyes fell on me. I couldn't stand to stare those beautiful blue eyes down, so I darted out of the room before he could even mutter my name.

Heartache spread to every limb of my body and I just… I couldn't make anything feel like it was going to be alright again. It took me so long to realize that I loved Drake. It took me so long to realize that, without him, I would never feel love again and now it was too late. He gave himself to Tommy because I wasn't there for him. And, in giving himself to another man, he had essentially given up on me.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I ran back to my chambers, slamming the door behind me. I felt like my entire world was falling down around me and I just couldn't handle it anymore. I didn't care about running Egypt. I didn't care about protecting anybody. Who was protecting me?! My heart was breaking apart and burning inside of my chest and nobody was helping me with that!

I slumped down onto the small stair case leading down to my bed. I did not want to lay amongst the pillows and sheets that held so many memories of Drake and Tommy. Memories that could very easily never be repeated in the future. If Drake had chosen Tommy then I would never love again. I would never even want another boy in my bed again.

Alexander's death was so painful. I never believed anything would hurt me as much as watching my lover die had, but I was wrong. Watching Drake give himself to someone else (without me being a part of it or requesting it, mind you, that was different) was tearing my heart apart from the inside, out. It felt like, at any minute, my heart would simply stop beating because there wasn't a heart left to beat and surely I would die in a matter of minutes?

I waited several long minutes, but sweet, blissful death did not take me into her sweet hold. I screamed, slamming my wrists into my knees. How could such a young, innocent boy who had suffered so much in the last few weeks make me feel like I would never love again? How did he have me in the palm of his hand with absolutely nobody realizing it? Not him, not even me…

"Damn it, Drake! Damn it!" I hissed, taking a bracelet off of my wrist and chucking it across the room. It bounced off the wall and only the stone floor with a loud, cling sound and it was deformed into a state where you could not longer tell it was a bracelet. Honestly, destroying it made me feel a fraction better and I stood, wanting to continue in destruction so my living chambers would represent what my heart surely looked like.

But before I could begin my rampage, there was a knock at the door. Tommy pushed the door open before I could shout to go away and he closed it behind him. "We have to talk," he told me, keeping his tone level, soft.

"I do not wish to see you and I do not wish to speak with you, so you may go," I snapped, anger boiling through my blood. Was this boy really going to come to me, dare to speak to me as if nothing had happened?! Drake saw me. He knew I was there and he must have told Tommy because if he hadn't, Tommy wouldn't be standing in my room right now.

"I'm sorry, My Pharaoh, but that is one order I cannot follow. We need to speak, now," he said, his tone a little harsher, a little more demanding.

"Thomas, I demand that you leave my chambers right now!" I shouted at him, feeling the urge to hit him like I had done when he approached me about Alexander. Only this time, I believed that hitting him would be justified. "Go!"

"No. We need to talk about Drake and I'm not leaving until we do…"


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Six: And I want these words to make things right (but it's the wrongs that make the words come to life)**

 **Tommy's POV**

Drake's fingers were carelessly running through my hair, my face hidden in the curve of his sweat-drenched neck. My heart was thrashing in my chest and I was still trembling, my member still buried deep inside of him. Drake kept saying Adam's name and, while I understood his love, it made me feel… I didn't know. I knew that he needed me because Pharaoh hadn't come to him. I knew he needed to feel like he was worth something again, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt when he said Pharaoh's name instead of mine…

But even still… All the nights I'd dreamed about taking Drake as my own, kissing him like he was mine and touching him in ways Pharaoh always had. All those nights wishing and I'd finally… I'd finally done what I'd wanted. And yet, despite the fact that I should've been happy or euphoric, I felt… Guilty. I felt guilty because I'd gone against Pharaoh's wishes. I'd gone behind his back with his boy, his love…

I felt Drake's fingers stop running through my and I looked up at him. But he was facing the door, a look of shock and regret on his face. I frowned, reaching up and caressing his cheek gently. His eyes were wide and beginning to fill with tears and I felt my heart cracking in my chest. I whispered his name gently, cupping his cheek in my palm, turning his head back to face me.

"Pharaoh…" He whispered delicately. My heart skipped before slamming to a stop, but I frowned further until Drake spoke. "He saw us…"

My eyes widened and I stared at him before looking away and cursing under my breath. I held his face in my hand before bending down, kissing him softly as I pulled out. He whined, inhaling sharply before falling limp into the bed. I kissed him again, feeling shame and regret painting itself over my heart and on the back of my throat with an ache that was not entirely comfortable. I sighed heavily, resting my forehead against Drake's shoulder and he resumed stroking my hair with his fingers.

"What do we do?" He asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat, thinking only one thing. We needed to talk to him. Drake needed to tell Pharaoh how he felt and that this whole thing was… Well, it was what it was, but Pharaoh needed to know _why_.

"We need to talk to him. You need to tell him how you feel about him, because right now he probably thinks you've given up on loving him.." I told him. Drake sighed and I looked up, frowning. His eyes were distant, perturbed and his lips were set into a soft frown. I tilted my head to the side, running my fingers up and through his hair. It'd gotten so long since he was brought here, it was a wonder he hadn't cut it yet.

"What difference would it make, Tommy? He's not going to want to talk to either of us. He's probably going to want nothing to do with us.." Drake's voice trailed off and I sighed, sitting up and slipping off of the bed. He stayed where he was, but he curled up into a small ball, turning on his side to face me. I bent down, grabbing my trousers off of the floor, pulling them on. I glanced at my stomach, grimacing a little as I saw Drake's come still splattered on my skin. I snatched up the blanket I'd tossed off the bed, wiping myself clean.

"It could make a world of difference, Drake," I commented, turning to him. His eyes were lost with regret and sadness and I sighed, kneeling down beside him. "You asked me to love you, and I did. I do. I love you dearly, Drake, but I know your heart belongs to Pharaoh. If you tell him how you feel, he'll know that you want to be with him." I said, reaching up and, gently, pushing Drake's hair out of his face. He sighed softly, refusing to look over at me.

"Look, let me talk to him, okay? I don't… I don't want him yelling at you over any of this, it wasn't your fault—" Drake's eyes snapped up, meeting mine and he looked, almost, angry.

"But it _is_ my fault, Tommy! I'm the one who pulled you into this. I'm the one who used you! I…" I placed a hand over his mouth, shutting him up. Inside, my heart was beating painfully and I wanted to pull him into my arms and rock him to sleep. He was so humble and wanting to keep the image of everyone so safe and pure. He wanted to blame himself and I couldn't let him do that.

"No. You asked to be loved. That's all you wanted, Drake. You wanted to be loved and you wanted to be wanted. There is no fault or shame in that, so, please, don't say that this was your fault." I said, but Drake didn't seem to believe me. He looked away from me, staring down at the floor. I sighed, pulling my hand away and kissing him gently. "I'll be back soon, alright? Hopefully, I'll be able to knock some sense into him and he'll understand." I told him, standing up and crossing to the door. I ran my fingers through my hair, smoothening it out before pulling open my door and slipping out, closing it behind me.

Part of me didn't want to leave the safety of my room or the comfort of Drake's arms. But I knew that I had to. In order to fix everything that had happened, I needed to leave Drake to find Pharaoh. There was something that told me I wouldn't have to look hard. That he would be where he always was when he was in a foul mood; his bedroom. I inhaled slowly, taking off down the hallway, my bare feet slapping the stone floor. My trousers were loose on my lack of hips, but they stayed on.

Fortunately, there was no one else around. All the other servants had gone to bed hours ago. I couldn't begin to imagine what time it was, but the moon was out and the halls were, mostly, dark. I inhaled deeply through my nose, turning a corner and jogging down another long, wide expanse. That was the only unfortunate part of the palace. It was so fucking big. However, nicely enough, my room and Pharaoh's chamber were not very far apart, unlike, say, his chamber and the library.

I stopped by a corner, breathing deeply before deciding to walk the last stretch. Pharaoh's doors were coming into view and, I wondered, if this was a good idea. To go to him after he saw me and Drake in bed together. Some people would argue and say that it shouldn't be a problem, that Pharaoh's watched us touch and kiss before. But that was always under his request. This was behind his back. This was meant to be done without him knowing about it. And we weren't lucky enough for such.

Or maybe we were lucky that he caught us. I paused, my hand half-way reaching out to grab the handle. Maybe… No, maybe _Pharaoh_ was lucky he saw us? Maybe now he would understand his feelings for Drake. Maybe now he would see just how much pain he's caused that boy to want to run to someone else. I inhaled slowly, pushing my thoughts away. I needed a clear head. I needed to be alert for whatever was ahead of me. Though it wasn't much of a history, I knew Pharaoh had a tendency for violence. Between slapping me and doing whatever it was he did to Brad…

"Open the fucking door, Thomas." I hissed to myself, curling my hand into a fist and knocking three times before grabbing the handle and pulling the door open. I slipped inside, bringing the door shut behind me and, before he could say anything, I spoke to him, "We have to talk." The fortunate thing was my tone was level and my voice strong, but, inside, I was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"I do not wish to see you and I do not wish to speak with you, so you may go," Pharaoh hissed, glaring at me from his spot on the stairs. His shoulders were tense and his body language rigid with anger. I knew that he had no desire to speak to me, but that didn't mean I was leaving. He had to listen to me. He had to understand and he had to go back to Drake and make things right.

"I'm sorry, My Pharaoh, but that is one order I cannot follow. We need to speak, now." I told him, my voice harder, stronger and more demanding. I took a step towards him, staring him in the eye the whole time. Pharaoh growled, baring his teeth as little as he turned towards me, shouting at me with a glint of tears shining in his eyes.

"Thomas, I demand that you leave my chambers right now!" I stopped in mid step, staring at him. His hands were curled into fists. He wanted to hit me again. He wanted to hit me, but he was holding himself back. " _Go!_ " He shouted, motioning to the door. I inhaled slowly, staring at him dead in the eye.

"No. We need to talk about Drake and I'm not leaving until we do…" I hissed at him, taking a step closer. Pharaoh glared at me, climbing the stairs and getting up in my face, staring down at me.

"How dare you talk back to me. Leave this room at once, Tommy, or I will have you removed." I clenched my jaw, stepping even closer. Though I hated the fact that I was shorter than him, I did not let this bother me in the slightest at the time. I swallowed the lump in my throat, speaking clearly and slowly.

"You will _not_ disregard me, My Pharaoh. Listen to me, not as a servant, but as a _friend_." I pleaded. Pharaoh scoffed once, turning away from me and walking over in the direction of his vanity. I let out the breath I'd been holding, watching as he paced back and forth before turning and staring me down from where he was.

"Why should I listen to the man who slept with the one I love? Why should I acknowledge your presence when you went behind my back?" He hissed, his body tense with rage and his eyes burning. I forced myself to walk forward to him, keeping my shoulders back and my head high.

"I only slept with him because you haven't been—" there was more to say, but Adam scoffed, his eyes burning and I knew he wasn't going to let me finish my thought before deciding to intervene.

"Just because I have not does not give you the right to take from me what's _mine_ , Thomas! I've been letting Drake _heal_ from what he's been through!" Adam shouted. Now it was mine turn to scoff and roll my eyes. He glared at me, clenching his jaw as I shook my head with disappointed laughs.

"Letting him _heal,_ Pharaoh? That's a bullshit excuse! You've been ignoring him, _avoiding him_! He thinks you don't want him anymore!" I yelled at him, pressing my hand into his chest and pushing him back a step. His eyes narrowed and he glanced at my hand before looking back to me, "The only reason we had sex was because he's been feeling neglected of love. He feels like he has no value to you anymore!"

Pharaoh's eyes wavered in their intensity, and for a moment I thought I'd gotten through to him. But then they hardened and he glared back at me, acting as if my words hadn't affected him in the least, "If he feels neglected, he should have come to me and said something. But he went to you, instead. Obviously he has no interest in receiving my affections for him." His tone was laced with venom and obvious hurt. I groaned in frustration, shoving him again.

"Maybe if you had offered your affections in the first place, he wouldn't feel so hurt!" I screamed at him. Pharaoh's eyes turned a dark, raging blue and I immediately began to regret ever coming here. He stormed up to me, getting into my face again as he barked at me in a tone I'd never heard before.

"And who are you to talk about affections, Thomas? Who are you to tell me not to ignore him because I'd lose him? I bet you were only saying that to keep me thinking and thinking, giving you opportune amount of time to have him all to yourself!" My heart skipped and my eyes widened. I screamed in frustration, rearing back and punching him in the jaw. Pharaoh howled, stumbling back a step before regaining himself and turning on me, grabbing me by the throat. He squeezed for a moment, choking and holding me there before sending me down to the floor. I tumbled, my elbow connecting with the stone before I bounced.

I cried out, cradling my elbow for a moment before looking up at Pharaoh through the veil of my hair, glaring with tears in my eyes. I could still feel his hand around my throat despite the fact that he was three feet away from me. The only difference about this compared to the night he hit me was I was not at the bottom of the stairs, and Pharaoh showed no remorse for what he'd done. To be honest, I didn't blame him. For I had no remorse for punching him.

"Who are you to deny that boy what he wants?!" I shouted back at Pharaoh from my position on the floor. He was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling, rapid and deeply, as if he was trying to contain himself from hurting me further. His pupils dilated in the darkness of the room, "All Drake wanted was to be loved. And when I was with him, he said your name. _Your name, Pharaoh!_ " He didn't seem to understand. Or maybe he was so enraged that he couldn't understand. I shook my head, speaking a little softer.

"Don't you _get it_ , Pharaoh?! That boy is _in love with you_ , and you're trampling on his heart by ignoring him! He's broken and afraid now that you're just going to throw him out!" Pharaoh's eyes wavered again, and his scowl faded from his lips, replaced with a look of hurt and shock. Maybe I was breaking through to him after all…

"He… Loves me?" Pharaoh's voice was soft, afraid and curious. I sighed, pulling myself to my feet, mindful of the ache in my elbow and the ghostly memory of his hand around my throat, choking me. I swallowed, inhaling deeply.

"Yes. That boy loves you dearly, Pharaoh. He's wanted nothing more than to have you take him and love him the way you used to. He wants _you_." I told him, my eyes pleading for him to understand. For a moment, I didn't care that he'd started to strangle me. I only cared about him realizing what a fool he'd been. I only cared about him making things right with Drake…

"Then… Then why did he go to you?" Pharaoh's voice, again, was gentle, quiet. Reserved. I sighed, running fingers through my hair.

"Because… I was there. I was there to catch the pieces of his breaking heart, My Pharaoh. I was there to hold him together while you continued to abandon him." Apparently the term "abandon" was harsher than it sounded coming from my mouth, for Pharaoh turned away with tears in his eyes, his fingers knotting themselves into his hair.

"I didn't _mean_ to hurt him! I… I just.. I wanted to make sure he was ready. I didn't want to try to be intimate with him and then have him fall apart on me because of what Brad did to him. And then… Then when his sister died, I thought he wouldn't have the will to be intimate because of her…" Pharaoh admitted, his voice quivering with sobs as he pulled on his hair. I sighed, going to him and reaching up, taking his hands from his hair. I turned him towards me, cupping his face in my palms.

"Pharaoh, if his thoughts were connected with Brad, they were because he thought you didn't want him for what Brad did. He knows the difference between what _you_ do _for_ him and what _Brad_ did _to_ him." I explained. Pharaoh's eyes flickered back and forth between mine, glistening with tears that were threatening to fall down his cheeks. "He loves you. He wants you. Can't you see that? Because, I'm sure… I'm sure if Alexander came to you, he would tell you to be happy. He would tell you to love that boy like you loved him…" I whispered.

The tears in Pharaoh's eyes seemed to prove too strong for his will and they fell. He closed his eyes, bowing his head and resting it on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me as he cried. He'd been such a fool for so long when it would've been so easy… He'd let his shame for being unable to protect Drake cloud the fact that he could've taken care of Drake. He let it cloud his heart, keeping him from healing the boy…

"What have I done?" Pharaoh sobbed into my bare shoulder. I ran my fingers through his hair, pressing a kiss to his hairline.

"Think not of what you've _done_. Think about what you _can do_ to fix this. Drake is waiting in my room. Go to him, comfort him. Apologize and tell him how much you love him." I suggested, hoping and praying to Ra that he would take my advice. He shuddered, keeping his face buried against me.

"What if he doesn't want me?" Pharaoh asked. I eased his head off of my shoulder, staring at him.

"Drake will not deny you of anything. You tell him to bed with you, he'll put himself into the palms of your hands. You tell him to run, he'll ask you how far and how long. Explain yourself and he'll welcome you with open arms." I told him. Pharaoh's eyes refilled with tears and he smiled gently, kissing me on the forehead in a soft, swift peck.

"Thank you, Tommy." He whispered. "I apologize for hurting you, again. I was not thinking." I shook my head, as if telling him not to worry about it. While, yes, it hurt like hell, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was deserved. Pharaoh had nothing to apologize for when it came to me.

"Go to him. Tell him you love him, and fucking mean it or, I swear to Ra, Pharaoh…" I said, but he just shook his head, gently leaving a chaste kiss on my lips before pulling away, rushing to the door before disappearing, leaving me more exhausted than ever before.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Declaration of Love  
Drake's POV**

All I wanted was to feel loved again and when I finally got the courage to ask it of someone? I deeply regretted it. When I saw Adam's eyes, that look of pain and heartache that was so often on my face, I wanted to die. Not only for what I had done to Adam, but for what I had done to Tommy. I used him because I was in pain. I hurt the man I loved more than anything and I used my best friend.

No wonder Pharaoh had no interest in me anymore…

I was literally a horrible person and I was a baby. I couldn't deal with my problems so I pulled Tommy in to deal with them for me. I was still letting him deal with what I was too afraid to say because he was off dealing with Adam, a man who could very well hurt him or… Send him to work on the pyramids. Tommy was strong but he was not built for the kind of labor people had to at the build sites. He just wasn't big enough, like I wasn't. Many of the people who were small, like Tommy and I, and sent to work on the pyramids generally died within the first few weeks.

Ra, please do not let Adam take his anger out on Tommy. If anyone deserved it, that person was me. Tommy was only the tool to my grand architectural schemes. Tommy did not deserve Adam's wrath but I doubted the pharaoh would see it that way. What he saw was Tommy, mounted over me, pounding into me like he owned me. I cannot say that if I was in Adam's position, I would have planned the person on the receiving end of the affair.

But it was my fault… This was all my fault and no matter how much Tommy said it wasn't, I knew that it was. Yes, I wanted to be loved and touched and cherished by someone again, but I never should have used my best friend to get that. I never should have hurt My Pharaoh so badly. Granted, I never planned on him walking in on Tommy and I. How was I to know that he would pick the worst time in history to finally come see me?

That was not an excuse for my actions, however. I knew that and I willing to take all of the responsibility for what had happened but Tommy would never allow me to do that. He admitted his love for me not more than forty minutes ago. His confession of love made me feel even worse for what I had done because… making love to me was the world to him, but the entire time he was inside of me, I was thinking about Adam and how he used to touch me. How he used to kiss me and make love to me…

I was so lost in my thoughts, that it almost didn't occur to me to clean myself off and get dressed. Thankfully I motivated myself enough to get up, wipe myself clean of my sex and pull a pair of shorts on before someone knocked on the door. "What?" I asked, assuming it was Tommy but then I wondered why Tommy would be knocking on the door of his own room.

A moment of silence passed so I picked up the dirty blanket off the floor and started folding it up so it could be put into the laundry. The door cracked open and my back was turned to it. "Drake?" Adam whispered and my heart slammed into my ribcage, squeezing into the spaces between my ribs in attempts to get free and fly to Adam.

"My Pharaoh?" I whispered, spinning on my heels to face him but my head was bowed in the most respect I could give the man after what he had walked in on what Tommy and I were doing behind his back… Adam shuffled slowly across the room to where I stood. What I expected was to be slapped for being a whore. For going behind his back to sleep with his other pleasure servant.

What I got was not a slap, nor harsh words. Instead, Adam wrapped his arms tightly around me, pulling me into his chest. At first I believed that he might be trying to suffocate me with his chest, but that really didn't make any sense. Nothing that went through my mind made sense anymore. "Drake… I'm so sorry, I'm sorry…" he whispered, burying his face into my hair and kissing my scalp lightly. "Can you ever forgive me?"

I frowned a little, confused. Why was he sorry when I was the one who had sex with Tommy behind his back? When I _used_ Tommy for my own selfishness. "Beg pardon?" I asked shakily into his chest.

Strong, warm and comforting hands cupped my face and he lifted me up to look him in the eye. "Tommy… Tommy told me that you have been feeling very… unloved?" he whispered, sounding regretful. "That you have been so lonely because I haven't been paying enough attention to you?"

"I…" I looked away from him but he forced me to look back at him, so our eyes met. "I do feel that way…" I whispered, as if it was the last thing I would ever mutter before my life ended. His hold on my cheeks tightened but it didn't hurt in the slightest. It was as if he was desperate to keep me in his grasp. Like he was afraid to let me go because I would crumble to nothing if he let go.

"Drake, honey…That was never my intention… I never meant to hurt you," he whispered, sounding so sweet and truthful that, even if I thought he was lying, I would never be able to truly believe it. His eyes were wide and bright, cracks of fear running through seas of blue truth. He was not lying. His eyes always gave him away.

After I had been inked, and Tommy had spent so much time with me, I asked him if Pharaoh liked me or not. He explained to me how easily it was to read Pharaoh's feelings through his eyes and since that day, I _had_ been paying attention. It only took a few occasions of seeing Pharaoh sad and angry to realize that everything Tommy told me about Pharaoh's emotions and the window through his eyes to those emotions were completely true. He could never lie because his eyes always betrayed him.

"Then why did you only call Tommy to your bed, leaving me alone every night you wanted the company of your boys…?" I whispered after a moment. Most people did not think of thinking about speaking to the Pharaoh the way I had just spoken to him. No one would ever think about questioning his decisions. Well, most people anyway. His advisers were a different story completely, but me? I was only a servant. I had no right to speak to him like that…

His eyes drifted away for only a moment. When he looked back, nothing in his eyes had changed. The truth, the honesty, it was all still there, swimming in his ocean eyes. "I was afraid to hurt you, Drake…" he whispered, his thumbs drawing into my skin again. "I thought that, if I tried to be intimate with you, and trust me, I wanted to so badly… But I was terrified that, if I were to touch you our act would remind you of everything Brad had done to you and I… did not ever want you to feel that I was doing that to you as well." Little tears began forming at the edges of his eyes but they did not fall.

"I would never even consider comparing what we do together to what Bradley forced me to do," I said, putting my smaller hands gently over Adam's. "There's absolute nothing similar…" I felt tears threatening to fall but, like Pharaoh, I kept them back.

"I am so sorry…" he whispered, his head falling in shame. He bowed in front of me, giving me an honor and respect that nobody had ever given me before.

Just at the site of Pharaoh bowing his head as every normally did for him cause the tears to flow. I couldn't hold them back, but they weren't gushing. Just a few tears slipping the seems of my lids. "I was only with Tommy because I thought he was the only one who still wanted me… I just wanted to feel like I was important to someone again…" I whispered, needing to justify my actions in some way.

"Drake, I… I understand if you would rather be with Tommy. I understand that he was there when I wasn't and that he can provide for you what… I failed to provide…" he said, his head still hanging in shame.

At that, I pulled out of his arms so I could stare at all of him in his depressed beauty. He was close to sobbing… "You really don't understand, do you?" I asked, frowning at the king. He just looked confused. Well not only confused, but confusion laying over the rest of his unresolved emotions.

"I beg your pardon?" he whispered, blinking at me.

"I love you, My Pharaoh… I'm _in_ love with you," I whispered and it felt so amazing to finally just tell him how I felt. For so long, since I realized how I felt, I had kept it to myself, kept it bottled up and to just spill it out after so long felt almost better than climaxing in the heat of the moment. "My Pharaoh, it took me some time to realize it, but I gave you everything. I let you take the one thing I had that was still mine and it wasn't because you were the Pharaoh of Egypt. It wasn't because of your title and it wasn't because that is what you expected of me. I gave it to you because I wanted to…"

"Drake…" Pharaoh whispered to me after several long moments of staring at me, one tear rolling down his left cheek. He reached out, again with his hands and he brushed my tears away before he leaned down, pressing his lips to mine in a heated, passionate kiss. Despite the tears falling down my cheeks, I kissed him back with just as much passion but the kiss was too short. Far too short for my tastes, actually… "Baby, I love you too…" he whispered, his fingers running through my hair slowly. "I love you too…"

"Then why didn't you just tell me that?" I asked, new tears flowing down my cheeks, but Adam just kept wiping them away with his thumbs.

"I… was afraid to, especially after everything that happened with Brad and… and Anna… I was afraid that you would reject me because I promised to take care of you and I promised to protect you and…" he paused, looking at me for several long seconds. "I failed you…"

"No, Adam, you didn't," he said. "What Brad did to me was not your fault. It will never be your fault and it won't be anyone's fault but Brad's," I added, taking his hands in mine. " My eyes pierced his. "I didn't talk to you or anyone else about it because I was afraid of what Brad would do to my family…" Images of my sister lying dead in my arms floated up behind my eyes and I wanted to start sobbing, but I refrained from that. This wasn't about Anna or Brad, it was about Adam and I and what our relationship was.

"But… But Drake, if I just paid more attention. If I saw the signs and the pain and the uncomfortableness of being around him… It wouldn't have happened. I could have stopped all of it from happening. I could have protected you but I didn't want to-" I cut him off by pressing my lips to his for a moment.

"Adam, why would you ever have a reason to believe that someone your trusted so much would do something so horrible?" I asked and he wrapped his arms around me again, pulling me to his chest.

I curled up against his larger frame. "I do not blame you for what Brad did to me. I do, however, blame you for not talking to me for such a long amount of time," I whispered and he just pressed his forehead to mine, nodding softly.

"I understand Drake… trust me I do. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? Ra, I am so sorry, Drake…" he muttered into my forehead. "I apologize for everything, Drake… I am so sorry."

"Me too…" I whispered back to him and our lips meshed for the third time only this was far more heated than before. My lips parted in a gasp and he pushed his tongue through the seams, tasting the insides of my mouth.. I moaned just at the taste of Adam's tongue on mine. It had been so long since I tasted him. So long since he had touched me. I was sure I was already growing hard in my shorts and he was only kissing me! "Mmm, Drake…" he whispered, pulling me closer still. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? Forgive all of my mistakes?"

"Of course… As long as… as long as you still want me and care about me?" I whispered, holding my breath. I needed to know that he loved me. "As long as I still mean something to you?"

"Drake, you mean the world to me," he whispered, smiling into my skin.

I just stared at him for a while, smiling before I kissed him again. "Then I forgive you," I muttered against his lips and he picked me up in his arms, spinning me around like we were in an old romance movie. "Adam?" I asked, holding onto him tightly. "I missed your touch so much…" I admitted and he set me down, holding me tightly to him again.

A faint blush rushed over Adam's cheeks and he smiled shyly. "I missed yours too, Drake… Yours too," he repeated several times into my skin and I blushed wildly, leaning into his touch again. I didn't want to ever let go of him again. I felt that, if I were to let go, I would never have him touch me again and we would never be together.

We kissed again, this time for minutes of no air but when I was kissing Adam, I didn't feel like I needed to breathe. I was on top of the world and nothing short of Adam leaving me again would bring me down. His arms looped under my knees and he lifted me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest as we kissed.

Eventually he broke the kiss but he held me just as close. "Will you come back to my room, Drake? Join me, please?" he asked and I just blushed again, nodding and wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, weaving my fingers into his thick, black hair tightly. He smiled and he walked out of Tommy's room, caring me towards his bedroom.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: And All I Have To Do Is Hold You**

 **Adam's POV**

After kissing him so passionately and requesting his presence back in my chamber, I carried Drake effortlessly down the halls. It was dark, well into the late hours of night to the point that it would soon be considered morning. Drake's arms were wound tight around my neck, his fingers tangled into my hair. He smiled softly, pressing kisses to my throat and my lips. A part of me wanted to press him into a wall and just have my way with him right there simply because I missed him so much. But I wanted it to be special. I wanted to be tender and passionate.

I turned a corner, glancing down and seeing a flash of blond hair ducking around the corner at the end of the hall. I bit down on my lip, making a mental note to repay Tommy for his words and for the fact that I'd hurt him. Drake's mouth pressed to the curve of my jaw and I shivered lightly, moaning and blushing delicately. He smirked, kissing me again as I pulled open the door to my room.

I held Drake in my arms, slipping inside as he reached back, shutting the door behind us. I smiled, kissing him deeply as I turned, walking slowly towards the stairs that led down to my bed. The moon illuminated through the ceiling, setting the bed into a soft glow. Pillows were strewn about and the blanket was in a tangled mess, but it looked… Appealing. Just glancing at it and I could see myself making sweet, slow love to Drake in the sea of pillows…

 _Are you proud of me, Alexander? I'm happy, now. I'm in love again. I hope this is what you wanted for me…_

It was a brief flash of a thought as I threw Drake onto my bed, watching him sprawl out with laughter. I smiled, my heart skipping several beats in my chest as I climbed onto the bed to join him. It… It felt right to have him back in my chamber, in my bed, with me. To have this beautiful boy whenever I wanted, however long I wanted, in any fashion that I wanted. And, now, it was even more special. He loved me. He told me that he did… And I loved him in return.

I crawled over to Drake, kissing him gently, my tongue sliding between his teeth. He moaned tangling his fingers back into my hair, pulling gently. I groaned, kissing him deeper as his hands slid out of my hair, curling around my shoulders. He pushed, forcing a soft yelp from my throat as he rolled us over, pinning me down into the bed and hovering over me. My heart skipped a beat and I felt my face heating up.

Drake smirked down at me, holding my left shoulder in his hand before reaching down, running his fingers through my hair, "You always have me beneath you. But do you remember? The first time?" He asked. My mind flashed back to his first night, more than two months ago. Tommy guiding him and the motion of his body as he fucked himself on me… I let my eyes slip shut, a moan passing through my lips as Drake, gently, pulled on my hair.

"Yes…" I moaned breathily as he pressed his lips to the side of my neck, letting his breath fan across my skin. I shivered, biting down on my bottom lip as I trembled. Drake's fingers played with my hair, running through it and pushing it out of my face. I opened my eyes, looking up at him. He smiled softly as I reached up, caressing his cheek with the back of my hand.

"You remember how you had me?" Drake whispered, turning his head and kissing my hand gently. He kissed each of my fingers, letting his tongue dart out and lick the tips of them. I moaned, feeling my body heat up as he continued to lick and kiss my fingers. "Like that, baby?" He whispered and I felt a twitch beneath the fabric of my trousers. I did remember, very clearly, how I had him and, yes, I did like it very much. I moaned, pushing my fingers into his mouth. Drake whined softly, his tongue slipping and sliding between my fingers, slicking them up.

"Fuck," I groaned, pulling my hand away from his mouth and sitting up, kissing him gently. Drake moaned, kissing me hard as he fumbled to strip himself of his pants. He kicked them off, reaching down and beginning to strip me of mine. I groaned, lifting my hips off of the bed as he pulled my trousers off, tossing them, too, off of the bed.

"Baby," he whispered, kissing me delicately as I pushed him off of me and down onto his back, hovering over him again. Our mouths meshed for several moments as I nudged his legs apart. He whimpered into my mouth, his tongue darting out and tasting mine as I chased his back into his mouth. My fingertips slid along the inside of his thigh, feeling the scars that were thin, smooth. I forced back a soft choke of pain as I teased his entrance. He arched, moaning and pulling away.

I kissed the side of his neck, pushing a finger into him. Drake cried out, tightening around me. My body trembled and I let out a soft moan, moving the digit inside of him. Drake's fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me down into a heated kiss. For a moment I couldn't breathe; between romancing my boy and kissing him, knowing that he was mine and I was his? I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even think. For a brief second, I didn't even want to try and work him open like this. I just wanted to have him.

I shoved a second finger into him, scissoring him and pushing in deep. Drake arched, moaning and pulling hard on my hair. I hissed, tremors running down my spine and electrifying my nerves. I missed this… I missed having him in my bed and in my arms. Tommy was a beautiful, amazing lover, but there was something that he lacked. He lacked the true desire behind his actions. He lacked something that Drake had all along and that I had never noticed, really, until now.

He lacked love.

"Adam…" Drake whined, pulling on my hair again. I gasped softly, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as my member twitched again, erect and needy. The way Drake said my name just… It left me weak. I couldn't describe it, though. It was like… It was just perfect. Utterly perfect. The tone, the inflection, how long he dragged it out or how short and crisp he made it… He made me weak…

"Adam, please, just… Fuck me, please…" He whispered, tugging on my hair. I cried out, shamelessly grinding against his leg like a fucking dog. Drake chuckled, a blush sweeping across his face as he kissed me gently, "Fuck me…" He repeated. I moaned, shaking.

"Baby, you're not—" I began to say, but he pulled me down into another searing kiss, my words being lost in the taste of his tongue. I shivered, cupping his face in my hand as I kissed him back. I pushed my tongue between his teeth, fucking his mouth tenderly. Drake's hands slid from my hair, digging into my shoulders. He pulled away, breathing hard. His lips were slightly swollen, looking plump and so kissable…

"I don't care. I need you…" He breathed. I gasped softly, tracing a circle into his cheek with my thumb as I kissed him again. I couldn't get enough of him. I'd… I'd deprived myself and him of this for so long. I needed to make up for all the lost and wasted time. I needed to make up the love I'd been keeping from him.

I pulled Drake up into a sitting position before leaning over the side of the bed, plucking the lotion from the underside and sitting back up. I uncapped the lotion, squeezing some out into my palm before reaching down, stroking myself. Drake watched my hand, moaning before curling his palm over mine, guiding my motions for me. He squeezed my hand, forcing me to clench myself a little tighter, and I shivered, moaning loudly.

"Fuck, Drake…" I whispered, trembling and groaning again. His hand vanished from mine and I let go, wiping my palm onto the blanket to get rid of the excess lotion. I shifted my position, sitting on my shins with my knees spread about shoulder width apart. I looked over at Drake, watching his eyes as they flickered up and down my body before meeting mine. He blushed deeply, bowing his head slightly.

I chuckled, reaching out and taking his hands in mine, pulling him closer to me. I reached up, cupping his face as I kissed him again, my other hand resting on his hip. His hands slid up my arms, curling around my neck. I moaned, deepening the kiss as I pulled him closer still, helping him climb onto me. I held him above my member, slowly easing him down. He whined into my lips, panting through his nose as I sheathed myself into him, his body stretching and molding around me. He, too, sat on his knees, facing me, his chest pressed flush against mine.

After a moment, Drake broke the kiss, whimpering and gasping softly as he buried his face into my neck. I moaned, rocking my hips, pressing up into him. One of his palms slid into my hair, the other resting between my shoulder blades as I thrust up, making him cry out into my neck.

"Fuck…" He whimpered, tightening around my member. I gasped softly, falling onto my back with him straddling my hips. The change in position forced my erection deeper than before, and Drake's body went rigid with tension as he cried out. I groaned, pushing up as he sank down onto me again. Drake seemed to choke on a breath, moaning. His eyes were screwed shut, his hair curtaining his face beautifully.

Drake's hands trailed down my chest as he kissed the side of my neck. I moaned loudly, rocking up into him rather hard and forcing another cry to fall off of his lips. He tightened again as I pushed in, fuzziness appearing at the edges of my vision. I tilted my head back, exposing a stretch of neck that Drake was all too happy to kiss and bite, marking me as his just as I'd marked him as mine.

"Baby…" I moaned, my hands clenching his hips tightly. We moved together like one person. I pushed up, he came down. It was perfectly euphoric; my heart was slamming into my chest over and over, as if wanting to break free and make the same passionate love to his heart… I wasn't artistic in the least, unless it was in relation to music, and even I knew my thoughts were beautiful…

"Adam… Fuck, harder…" He whimpered. I groaned, rolling us over so that I was on top of him again, still buried deep. Drake gasped softly, wrapping his legs around my waist and pushing me deeper. He arched, tilting his head back and screaming loudly, the sound of his voice bouncing off of the stone walls and coming back to us.

"Ra… Adam…" Drake whined. By the tone of his voice, I knew that he was close. Dangerously so. But it didn't matter because I was, too. I bent down, pressing my lips to his neck as the fingers of my right hand curled into his hair, tightening. I didn't pull right away though. I rocked into him as hard as I could, reaching down with my left hand and wrapping my palm around his member. Drake went rigid, gasping softly as I bit into his neck, pulling on his hair as hard as I could.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, _fuck!_ _Adam! ADAM!_ " Drake was screaming, pushing me as deep as I could physically go and then some. His entire body trembled as he came, splattering both of our stomachs. White flashed across my eyes and I moaned into Drake's neck, jerking up into his body as I came inside of him. I couldn't think or breathe until the fuzziness of orgasm faded. Drake was panting beneath me, sweat dripping off of his skin as I kissed his neck and his lips.

I pecked his mouth, pulling out and tearing a soft, quiet cry from him. I whimpered, caressing his cheek with my fingers, "I didn't… hurt you, did I?" I asked between a few breaths, staring at him as the moonlight above us began to slowly change to pre-dawn light. We'd been awake all night for various things, and this was how we were ending it. I couldn't think of anything better…

"No… Not at all, baby." He whispered, smiling tiredly up at me. I chuckled, blushing faintly as I ran my fingers through his hair, kissing him again.

"Good… Good…" I mumbled, kissing his lips. I couldn't get enough… I just couldn't. Drake moaned, pulling me closer. "I love you, Drake." I whispered to him, touching his cheek gently. His face flushed a brilliant red and he pressed his lips back to mine like they were meant to be there.

"I love you, Adam."


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Picture On The Wall Will Always Remain  
Tommy's POV**

"Tommy?" Drake called, knocking lightly on my door. It was nearly three in the afternoon and he sounded tired. How long had him and Pharaoh gone at it last night? Actually wait, I probably didn't really want to know that answer to that question. "Tommy? Are you there?" he called again, knocking a little louder.

"Hang on a second," I called, pushing myself out of bed and setting my guitar down. I walked over to the door and pulled it open. "Why are you knocking? We share a room you know." Drake's eyes were glazed over with what looked like happiness and he came forward, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "Drake? Are you alright?" I asked, instantly worried. Maybe the glistening in his eyes wasn't happiness but tears? What had Pharaoh done to him?! "Drake?"

He turned his face to look up at me and he smiled. "I'm fine, better than fine, actually… I just… I can't thank you enough for what you did for me yesterday," he whispered into my chest and a little frown pulled at his lips. "Tommy… I'm so sorry for what I did to you yesterday. That was so… that was so wrong and I can never take it back…"

I sighed deeply, taking Drake's hands into mine. Yes, Drake using me for the comfort he needed hurt but I cannot say that if he had not asked, that I would have acted any differently. As much as it hurt me to know that Drake loved Pharaoh and not me, I still loved him. I believed I always would. "Drake, shh, it's okay baby. I'm not angry with you. I'll never be angry with you," I said, pushing him gently onto the bed.

His bright blue eyes pierced through mine and he just shook his head as I sat down next to him. "You should be angry with me, Tommy. You shouldn't forgive me for what I did… It was really awful and I feel so bad about it. I just want to make things better, but I don't know how. I feel like I've ruined our friendship and I feel like I've-" I cut him off because I couldn't stand to see him blaming himself like he belonged in prison for wanting to feel loved.

"Drake, shh, you haven't ruined anything," I said, pressing a gentle kiss into his hair. He blinked at me, stunned and I just laughed. "Do you honestly think I could just throw you out of my life, Drake? Yes, I love you in ways I shouldn't love the pharaoh's lover, but I also love you because you are my best friend and you always will be. Yesterday was not entirely your fault and I don't want you to feel like it is. I would have loved you even if you didn't ask for it…"

"But Tommy…" he whispered delicately, like raising his voice would cause something to break. "I used you. I… I feel so awful about it, I just wanted to know someone still loved me…" He sounded so small and vulnerable.

I sighed, pulling Drake into my arms and I held him there tightly. "Baby, I know you wanted to feel alive again. I know why you asked me to love you and I would do it again if you asked. Hell, I might even do it again even if you don't ask," I said with a gentle laugh, hoping to break some of the tension.

It worked because he let a little giggle pass his lips and a little smile even crept across his lips. "Tommy, I don't want you to feel like I don't love you… I do, so much I just…" He stopped mid-sentence to bite his lip.

"You fell in love with Pharaoh. I know, baby and trust me, I'm not upset that you fell in love with him. It's alright," I whispered, pecking his forehead gently with my lips. "Even with you and Pharaoh in love, things really won't change all that much. He may want to be alone with you more now, but we'll still have the relationship we did before. I promise you that." In the back of my mind, I knew I would still be serving Pharaoh along with Drake. We would still be a chain of lovers and I knew that Drake did love me too. That was comforting enough for now.

"But Tommy, I…" I pressed my lips to his in a gentle, sweet and innocent kiss. It lasted for only a moment, but it shut him up. That was totally my main goal the entire time, I swear to Ra.

"No, Drake, no buts. It's alright, okay? I want to see you happy. I want to see you smile again and you are now. That's worth the world to me," I muttered, caressing his cheek with one of my hands. "You know I love you, baby. I know you love me too. That's good enough for me."

A light pink blush rushed across his face and he looked away, embarrassed. "I was wondering if you would let me paint something for you?" he whispered, finally looking back into my eyes. "I was inspired and I really want to do something nice for you, to show you just how important you truly are to me."

This time a light blush ran across my face. Drake hadn't painted much but what I did see of his work was beautiful. Amazing even. "I would never say no to something like that, but will you tell me what it is?" I asked, curious to know what his inspiration might be. His eyes drifted over my guitar for a moment before he smiled.

"Well, it's not a painting exactly. More of a mural. Spending the last week and a half in here made me realize that your room is really dull and there's nothing to look at…" he said, turning towards the wall opposite the wall my bed was on. "I have this vision of a sun-setting sky, oranges, pinks, reds, with soft clouds the are illuminated by the colors of the sun dipping under the horizons of the earth." Just the way he spoke made him sound artist, musical even.

"Sounds really beautiful, Drake…." I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind. "Extremely beautiful…"

"I'm not done… I wanted to paint a music staff weaving in and out of the clouds. Just a few shades darker than the sky itself so it doesn't overwhelm people who look at it with startling contrast. And then, you know, music notes on the staff," he said, smiling with pride at the idea he had come up with. "I know your music is important to you, yet you've never played your guitar for me." He pouted a little and I just chuckled. How was he so perfect? It was ridiculous, honestly.

"My apologies. I'll make sure I play for you soon," I vowed as he turned back to face me. "Your mural sounds beautiful and I would love for you to do that for me Drake, but… why aren't you with Pharaoh right now? I figured he'd want you all to himself today and… for the rest of the week." I laughed at my own, not funny joke.

He smiled a little. "He told me he had a meeting with some people that were helping out with funding of new technologies for Egypt or something. He kind of rambled about it while we were bathing and I kind of, sort of started to tune him out cause it was boring to listen to," he said, laughing. I laughed too. Drake and I were sex servants. We were used to activities that were a lot more… fun that business, so I could imagine how Pharaoh rambling on about technology and money could be extremely dry after about two minutes. "He said he'd see us at dinner and that he wanted us in his room tonight to, you know, make things better for all of us." He shrugged, smiling lazily. "Besides, I wanted to come spent time with you. Apologize and convince you to let me paint all over your walls."

I laughed again, leaning forward and kissing his nose. "Well, you have my permission to do whatever you want with my room," I said. "I wouldn't mind if you rearranged everything either, because it's been set up like this for three years and it's starting to get powerfully dull. Like Pharaoh's business meetings." We both laughed at that and Drake just shook his head.

"Ra, I am so thankful that he doesn't make us go to those with him. I'd pull my hair out from boredom… It would be like torture with words." We just laughed again. Making fun of Pharaoh just for the fun of it was always a good time. Pharaoh my disagree, but whatever.

"Agreed on that. Let's stick to more fun things," he said, chuckling quietly. He nodded, smirking just slightly.

"Well, actually… I got this job with no experience, remember? I've kind of been winging it since I got here," he said, leaning against me. I simply wrapped my arms around him again, cuddling with him in a comfortable silence for a long while.

"So… do you even have any paint?" I asked him and he pointed over to a bag sitting next to the door. I didn't remember seeing it with him before but I wasn't really paying attention to what he was holding. I was really only interested in his eyes and the emotions that swam there.

"Pharaoh had to go to his meeting a little over an hour ago, so I went out to the market to get paints and bigger brushed," he explained to me, smiling as he pulled out of my arms and walked over to his bag. He plucked it from the floor and came back over to the bed, dumping out rather large bottles of paint and so beautifully hand crafted paint brushed. "You know… I didn't mention this before because of everything that happened over the last few weeks but, your sister sold me these brushes."

I blinked in surprise. "My sister?" I asked, reaching out and taking of the brushes, examining it. Had my sister crafted these herself? "How do you know? Did you ask her?" Drake blushed lightly, nodding as he started mixing paints on some sort of board he had pulled out of his bag. He stood, walking over to a large, completely bare wall and he began painting pink fading to orange across the span of it.

"Yeah… She reminded me so much of you I just… I needed to know. You know, curiosity killed the cat type thing," he said but his eyes were on the wall.

"Did she say anything about me? Ask about me?" I asked, still staring at the brush I was holding. It was a rather small one out of the set, so I doubted Drake would need it for a while. Not while he was just painting the background. That required a large brush because, if he tried to use a smaller one, the background would take forever.

"Well, yeah… She tried. I really only told her that you were doing pretty well and that you didn't need to worry about you," he said, dabbing a gracious amount of paint onto his brush before going back to the wall. "She did tell me that she misses you a lot though. She says she thinks about you every day." I could hear the smile in his voice and I wondered if he was thinking about his own family.

Drake had met my sister and she missed me? Part of me couldn't believe it. My parents had so easily shunned me because they found me with that boy. I never really got to say much to my sister before the guards hauled me away. Part of me believed for the entire time I was here that she felt the same way our parents felt and that she wanted nothing to do with me anymore.

It was a huge comfort to know that she still loved me…

When I looked up, the entire wall had been painted in a beautiful sunset and I wondered, just how long had I been silent in my thoughts? Drake probably hadn't noticed because he was engrossed in his painting. I was amazed though, at how fast he was at it. His hand moved so gracefully and what would have taken someone like me weeks, even months to finish, took him only hours, maybe less than that. We couldn't possibly had been sitting and standing in silence for hours, right? One of us would have noticed.

Fuck he was talented… I was almost jealous of that too.

"Thank you," I said, cutting through the silence like it was hot butter.

Drake turned to look at me after a few more brush strokes, seeming to only be fixing a few blemishes in his mural. "For what?" he asked me, setting his brush down on the board he had been using to mix his paints. All of the pain the had squirted out on it was gone already. Damn.

"For telling me about my sister. I thought that she didn't care about me anymore, like my parents…" I whispered, standing from the bed and walking over to him, my arms open to hug him.

"Um, you're welcome of course, but don't touch me, Tommy. I'm covered in paint," he said, backing away from me just a step or two. It was true though. He had orange paint smudged across his right cheek. Pinks and reds coated his arms and especially his hands. He even had a little bit of pink in his hair, making a nice contrast between the dark chocolate locks and the soft, almost baby pink.

"But I want to hug you," I whined, pouting and dropping my arms in an overly dramatic, upset fashion. Drake laughed softly and he walked over to me, pressing his lips gently to mine for a few moments. I moaned softly, kissing him back. There was no tongue and no fight for dominance. Just a simple, sweet kiss.

"Better?" he asked and I blushed wildly.

"Much better than a hug…" I admitted, smiling sheepishly at the brunette. There was a light knock at the door and after a minute, the door swung open. Pharaoh took a few steps into the room.

Drake and I both smiled at him and he smiled back, seeming happier than he had in weeks, months really. "Hey boys," he said, walking over to us. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and then a soft kiss to Drake's lips, much like the kiss Drake and I just shared. "You look cute covered in paint, but aren't you supposed to paint a canvas, not yourself?" he asked, chuckling softly. Drake blushed lightly, smiling.

"I was trying to avoid getting it on myself but it didn't work," he admitted, still blushing wildly. "I was trying to paint a mural for Tommy… I just painted myself in the process." Pharaoh's eyes drifted over to the wall and a small smile touched his lips.

"It's breathtaking. What are you planning on having it look like when you are finished?" he asked and Drake, again, blushed but explained the design again to the king, using his hands to gesture where he wanted curtain things to be at. I just smiled at them. Sure, I was jealous of Pharaoh and Drake's relationship but I hadn't seen either of them look so happy in a long time. Actually, I really hadn't seen either of them so happy ever and I could never be angry about their happiness.

"Talented, isn't he?" I asked, smiling and putting a hand on Drake's shoulder.

Pharaoh just nodded, smiling at me. "Yes, he is," he said, pressing his lips into Drake's hair, the part without paint in it, that was. "Why don't you go get cleaned up? It's almost dinner time," he whispered into the boy's hair. "But you could leave the paint on your cheek there. It's kind of adorable." Drake blushed, rolling his eyes before, sarcastically, muttering a soft "of course, My Pharaoh".

Drake left the room to go wash up and Pharaoh turned towards me, smiling softly. "Thank you," he said, pulling me into a tight hug.

"For what?" I asked, wincing from his tight hug. He was quite strong for someone who had servants to do everything for him.

"Everything, Tommy… I thanked you last night but it wasn't enough. I… I can never thank you enough, actually…" he admitted, smiling slightly and he let go of me. Thank Ra, I can breathe again.

"You can thank me by never hurting that boy, alright? I swear to Ra… If you do I'll…" He smirked, putting a finger over my lips.

"Don't openly threaten the king of Egypt Tommy, but I understand. I won't hurt him, I promise," he said to me, pressing a light kiss to my lips. He pulled away just as Drake came back into the room, looking fresh and clean. All except for the orange paint on his cheek. I laughed, shaking my head. He really left paint on his face because it made him look cute? Well… it _did_ make him look adorable.

Pharaoh turned back to him and laughed softly as well. "Always so eager to please, aren't you?" he asked and Drake didn't blush, to my surprise, he only smiled. He looked innocent, but that boy was so not innocent anymore.

"Of course," he replied. "I think dinner will be starting soon though. We should go… Long walk and I'm hungry…" he said. Pharaoh and I both stared at him, almost in disbelief. "What?" he asked, looking a little self conscious all of a sudden.

"You're never hungry. In fact, I don't ever think I've heard you say 'I'm hungry' before," Pharaoh said and I nodded my agreement with his statement. Drake simply rolled his eyes and he walked out of the room, expecting us to follow him.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty: Gravity Don't Mean Too Much To Me**

 **Drake's POV**

My eyes fluttered open and I stared up at the ceiling of Adam's chamber. I could hear Tommy's soft, gentle snores beside me and I glanced over at the sleeping blond. He was laying on his stomach, facing towards me with his left arm tucked under his hand and his right hand clasped with mine between our heads. I smiled warmly, squeezing his hand gently. For once, though, he didn't move. He was deep into his sleep that he didn't even twitch.

 _Well, last night was pretty intense,_ I thought to myself, slowly and gently slipping my hand from Tommy's. He shifted, curling his arm under his head to join his left, but still, he did not wake. _I can't really say that I blame him_. I sat up, mindful of the ache in my back side and hips. I sighed softly, rubbing my eyes before slipping off of the bed, the stone cool beneath my feet.

I frowned, looking back to the bed. Adam wasn't there, and I couldn't hear him in the bathroom, so I doubted he was taking a bath. I bit down on my bottom lip, glancing out over to where his balcony was, before a smile tugged at my lips. Adam was leaning on the balcony, overlooking the back parts of the city as well as the gardens below. I bent down, grabbing a pair of trousers and sliding them on before walking around the bed and towards where Adam was standing.

He was dressed in a pair of white shorts and nothing else, his hair sticking out in odd angles and ends around his head. I was quiet as I walked, careful not to draw attention to myself as I admired the inking in his back. There was so much of it that it barely covered the freckles that were dotted into his flesh like the stars above. But there were a few places, specifically around his lower back, where the skin was clean and ink-free.

I stepped up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist, pressing a soft kiss between his shoulders blades. His chest collapsed with a chuckle and he placed his arms over mine, turning his head to look over his shoulder at me. I glanced up at him, smiling brightly and leaving another kiss, this time on his shoulder though. He laughed again, reaching back and running fingers through my hair.

"Good morning, love." He said. I felt my heart flutter in my chest and I blushed, letting go of his waist to join his side. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close and kissing me gently.

"Morning to you, too, Adam." I replied. A delicate smile tugged at his freckled lips and I blushed a little more. I glanced at the railing of the balcony, remembering how he leaned against it when I first saw him. I smiled, staring distantly at the railing. Out of the corner of my eye, Adam tilted his head to the side, staring at me quizzically.

"What, baby?" I blinked once, looking over at him and grinning ear to ear. I stood up on my tiptoes, pecking his mouth with mine.

"Stay here," I told him, pulling out from his arms and rushing back inside to his chamber. Tommy was still fast asleep on the bed, appearing to not have moved once in the time I'd gotten up to join Adam outside. I hurried over to the door, pulling it open quietly and slipping out, racing down the hall. It was late enough in the morning that people were up and about, but there was no one in the hall that I was running down.

I turned a corner, rushing down to mine and Tommy's shared room. I still had not gone back to mine simply because of what had happened. I pushed the door open, stepping inside and glancing around until I saw the paints still on the floor and my bag off to the side. I bent down, grabbing my bag, which still had a bunch of paints and brushes in it to begin with, as well as the other paints, brushes and the board I'd been using.

I glanced up at the unfinished mural on Tommy's wall. I'd gotten most of the background done with the exception of the music staff, that still needed to be started. But the majority of it was looking good and near finished. I smiled slightly, letting my bag hang onto my shoulder as I turned, closing Tommy's door behind me and hurrying back down the hallways towards Adam's chamber.

I didn't have a canvas, but I didn't think Adam would mind me painting on his wall. I smiled wider to myself, shaking my head as I hurried down the hall. Well, at any rate, if he did have a problem, he'd have to suck it up and deal. I didn't have much interest in going back out to the market to get another canvas. Besides, as beautiful and amazing as his room was, it was missing some personality to it.

I shifted the bag on my shoulder, bringing it up higher before opening the door to his chamber. Tommy was still sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep; Adam was out on the balcony, still in the spot I'd told him to stay at. I slipped inside, shutting the door as quietly as I could manage before rushing over to where Adam was waiting. The sun was shining on his skin, his black hair glowing with a faint blue tint.

He looked up, seeing me coming across the room and he smiled softly before noticing the bag hanging off of my shoulder. His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned for a second, but his eyes were playful and curious. I blushed, stepping out onto the balcony and crossing to him. Standing on my tiptoes, I pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, shivering as he moaned and tilted his head to catch my lips in full.

I curled my arms around his neck as his hands latched onto my hips, bringing me closer and deepening the kiss. My mouth opened enough for Adam to slip his tongue between my teeth, tasting the side of my cheek. I trembled, weaving my fingers into his hair and pulling hard, forcing a soft groan to tumble from his lips and into my mouth.

I pulled away, breathing hard as a blush washed over my cheeks. Adam lifted his hand, caressing my face and smiling softly at me. I kissed him again, only soft and chaste this time. "Do you trust me?" I asked him. Adam's eyes wavered back and forth between mine, and he smiled warmly, nodding once. I grinned, pecking his cheek before pulling out of his arms.

"Stand like this," I told him, positioning him so that his right arm and hip were leaning against the railing of the balcony, his left hand covering that of his right, and he was looking out over to the western gardens and city. He chuckled delicately, acting as my mannequin as I posed him the way I wanted before going to the wall across from where he was standing. I slipped my bag off of my shoulder, dumping out the paints, brushes and the board before looking back to where Adam was standing.

"Are you ready to stand there for a while?" I asked. Adam chuckled again, nodding once. I bit down on my bottom lip, smiling as I grabbed the blue and white paints. Uncapping them, I squeezed hearty amounts onto the board. I grabbed a larger sized brush, smiling as I glanced back over my shoulder to the sky. Soft blue. Perfect.

I mixed the paints on the board before I began to paint the wall. The blue was almost a perfect match to the sky, which made me smile even more. I worked quick and efficiently, painting a spread of wall that was a little taller than me and spaced out enough to really capture the railing, the background as well as Adam. I wanted to have him slightly off-center, so that he was the focal point but to show that he wasn't the only thing in the painting.

With the blue in place, I grabbed a smaller, clean brush and squeezed out a variety of other colors, prominently black and white, though. I mixed dollops of paint, creating shades, blends and a skin tone. I licked my lips, dabbing some of the skin tone onto my finger before going over to where Adam was patiently posing for me. He glanced down at me as I smudged the paint onto his arm. A tad too dark, but that would be easy to fix. He smiled, leaning down and kissing my forehead before I walked back to my wall.

Brush in hand, I began to paint, first working on Adam's body before going back over with the details of his clothing, his hair and tattoos. Because of the Egyptian heat, the paint dried faster than it would have had I been inside. I smiled, working quickly, glancing over my shoulder now and then. I didn't need to do it nearly as often as I thought I would have though. I was able to remember a lot of the smallest details.

"Pharaoh?" A soft voice whispered from the inside of the room. I stopped painting, glancing over at Tommy as he lazily rubbed his eyes and stepped out onto the balcony to join us. He caught my eye, glancing at me before looking at the mural I was painting. He dropped his hand, staring wide eyed as he came farther out to get a better look at it. A soft, serene smile stretched across his lips and he pressed a chaste kiss to my hair. "This looks beautiful." He whispered to me.

"Doesn't it?" Adam chuckled from his place by the balcony. I rolled my eyes, smiling softly as I continued my painting. I looked over my shoulder, biting on the corner of my bottom lip before I began to shape Adam's hair. It hung lazy around his face, curling outward at the end. It was cute, and I couldn't stop the smile on my face as my wrist moved in fluid motions. I knelt down, taking the smallest brush and dabbing in some blue paint for his tattoos.

I stood close to the wall, mindful not to get any paint on me like I had yesterday. There was some black, white and purple on my fingers, but that was inevitable. My tongue stuck slightly out of the corner of my mouth as I added the tattoos to his skin. It was a pretty simple painting, but very clearly Adam in all of his royal presence. I smiled slightly as my brush moved down his hips, across the part of his shoulder that the painting showed.

I glanced down at my trousers, seeing a few paint splatters. I sighed softly, wiping my brush clean on the thigh before mixing a small bit of blue and white, making a gentle, clear baby blue. I smiled, painting the iris of Adam's left eye. It was soft, small against the shaded white of his eye, but it was there and it was perfect. I smiled, setting my brush down against the board as I took a few steps back to join Adam and Tommy by the railing to look at my work from a distance.

I still needed to add the sands of the desert in the background, as well as the few visible trees, but, otherwise, it was good. Adam's arms wound around my stomach and he pulled me against his chest, leaving a kiss to my shoulder. He was standing here with me, and he was also ten feet away, forever frozen as he stared out at his city.

"It's beautiful," Adam whispered, kissing the side of my neck. I shivered, leaning into his arms as Tommy, gently, ran his fingers through my hair, pressing a kiss to my hairline.

"Indeed." Tommy said, glancing up at Adam. "Pharaoh? Would you mind my taking Drake for a bath? We're probably in some desperate need of it," Tommy chuckled shyly and I felt Adam's chest shake with a laugh. I blushed deeply, staring down at my hands and fighting a smile.

"I won't mind as long as you remember what I told you to call me?" I frowned, glancing at Tommy. He sighed, smiling.

"My apologies, Adam," he said, taking my hand and pulling me from Adam's arms. Ahh, I see. "We'll be back soon."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty-One: I'm a Man Now, Thanks To You  
Adam's POV**

Drake's portrait of me was beautiful. It was almost hard to tell the painting from reality and that was saying something, considering it was a picture of me. Obviously I knew myself from a painting, but it was still rather difficult. He'd finished it after dinner the day he started it and, honestly, I was impressed by how much detail he could paint so beautifully in such a short amount of time.

That had been two days ago. I'd been dealing with business, as usual, with Cassidy over the last couple of days so I hadn't gotten to see Drake as much as I would have liked. I did, however, get a chance to talk to the inks man who had given Drake his first inking. I'd talked to him about, potentially, getting Drake a couple of inkings on his hips. It was very traditional in modern Egypt to be branded with the symbol for "lover" on both hips once you were in a truly committed relationship to someone who was taking care of you.

"Drake?" I called, knocking lightly on his and Tommy's door. The boy still wouldn't go back to his own room, not that I blamed him. If I had my way, he wouldn't even need his own room because he could just live in mine. "Baby? You in there?" A moment later, Drake pulled the door open and, like the last time I had come down to this room, he was covered in paint. From the look of things, he had been working on Tommy's mural again.

"Hey, I thought you were in your boring meeting or whatever?" he asked, stepping aside to let me in. I walked in, admiring the mural before crossing to the large bed he and Tommy, I knew, shared.

"Well, Cassidy wasn't feeling well so we rescheduled. Gave me a free day today," I said but my eyes weren't on Drake. They fell to the bed, where a small sketch pad sat, open to some page in the middle of the book. There was a beautiful drawing of two wings, each caving down, as if holding something. They were in shades of blue and purple and a few feathers rained down from the wings. Atop the wings was a very simple symbol recognized in Egyptian culture and all around the world. An ankh. It was a gold-ish color, with purple tints littered around it.

Overall the sketch was beautiful, but I could expect no less from Drake. He was, after all, a brilliant young artist. The few paintings he had done in the last few weeks proved that. It should not have been a surprise that he could simply draw and shade just as brilliantly. Yes, somehow, it was. I was completely caught off guard by how beautiful the drawing really was.

"Adam?" Drake asked and I realized then that he had been talking to me but I didn't hear anything of what he had said.

"Huh? Oh, my apologies. I was… spacing," I said, smiling a little. A light blush rushed across his face as he laid his brush down with the rest of the materials he had been using. "Where's Tommy?" I asked, glancing around for the blond. I wanted to talk to Drake about new, possible, inkings but I wasn't too keen on discussing it with Tommy in the room. I knew he wanted Drake to be happy, but I did not want his jealousies to grow anymore than necessary.

Drake shrugged, wiping some paint off of his arm with a cloth. "Dunno. I think he said something about going to the market, or something. We ran out of shampoo and soap yesterday, so he probably went to get more. Honestly, I wasn't really listening much," he admitted with a light, airy chuckle. I just smiled at him as he pranced over to me. I opened my arms for him and he took a seat in my lap, allowing me to hold him close.

"So," I began after a few comfortable minutes of just holding my boy to me. "I have an offer for you," I said, glancing down at his drawing again. He didn't really seem to notice it much. He was far to content to rest his head against my chest, no doubt falling into deep relaxation while listening to my heart beat.

"Oh yeah?" he asked lazily and I just couldn't fight the laugh. He was so adorable.

I began petting his hair gently, pushing some away from his face. It was getting terribly long and, as much as I loved his hair, I knew he would want it cut soon. Having that much hair in Egypt's constant heat was almost too much to bare. "I was wondering if you would be interested in another inking…" His eyes grew wide, probably with memories of extreme amounts of pain. "Before you get all scared, the inking would not be nearly as large or complex as your previous one," I whispered, my fingers trailing along the outline of his right wing.

"Um, alright? What is it?" he asked, looking up at me with his big, crystal blue eyes.

A smile began to tug the corners of my lip upward. The idea of marking Drake, not only as mine, but as my lover was, to say the least, extremely appealing. "It's very customary for those who fall in love to get the symbols for lover inked into their hips," I explained, dropping my hands to the areas along his hips where the inking would go. "The inking wouldn't even take two hours. Much shorter than your last inking and it would heal much more quickly."

Light crimson washed over Drake's face, along with a tiny, embarrassed smile. He looked away for a moment before looking back up at me. "There isn't any way I could deny something like _that_ ," he whispered and I smiled brightly, pecking him once on the lips.

"However…" I began again and he groaned softly. So. Adorable. "I saw your sketch over here," I said, gesturing to the open sketch book lying next to us. "The design is beautiful and I think it would be beautiful inked into your upper arms." I drew two lines with my fingers, making an imaginary band across his upper arm. Generally in the area where many Egyptians who had money wore large, golden arm bands. "They might take a little longer… but I think they would be absolutely stunning…"

Drake smiled, although I could plainly see the worry in his eyes. I didn't blame him. He was afraid of pain and that was completely understandable. Getting an inking, anywhere on your body, was excruciatingly painful and that was, perhaps, an understatement. But he was smiling and I knew, before he even gave me his answer, what it would be. "I would love that…" he whispered, pressing a kiss into my cheek. "When were you planning on having this done?"

At that, my face flushed. "Well, the inks man is already here… He's waiting for me to call upon him. The sooner, the better, probably," I said, smiling sheepishly.

"Well… at least you gave me _some kind_ of warning this time, however brief it might have been," he said, laughing gently. I smiled, cupping his cheeks in my hands before kissing him gently. It was soft, loving and tender. No tongue, not fucking of the mouth, just a sweet, simple kiss.

Drake pulled away and stood up. Like a silent message the he was ready, despite the pain that he knew was coming. "Let's go," I whispered to him, standing and taking one of his hands into mine. He laced our fingers together and I grabbed the sketch pad before we left the room.

I took Drake back to my chambers, where the inks man was sitting, waiting patiently for me to return with his human canvas. He was a man, well into his years, but he was kind and he was excellent at what he did. He was the man father had brought to me on my eighteenth birthday and I would trust my lover to no one else.

Since the inking would be on his hips, Drake stripped his paint splattered shorts and wrapped a towel around his waist. That way, the fabric could be moved in the spots needed without revealing Drake's most… intimate and private areas to the man. While Drake changed, I showed the sketched wing design to the elderly man, explaining where it should be placed and asking him if he could do it. Of course he said it was no problem and he took the sketch from me, walking out onto the balcony to compare the ink colors he had to the ones Drake had used in his drawing.

Drake stepped out of my bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped snuggly around his waist. It was hard not to let my mind wander to places it shouldn't, but I was able to keep myself in check. Today was not about making endless hours of love to Drake, it was about him receiving inking for the second time. I knew it would be beautiful, we just had to get through the painful parts.

"You ready?" I asked him, taking his hands in mine. He smiled, nodding softly and I took him out onto the balcony, seating him in a chair right across from Drake's beautiful painting. He stared at it for a while before looking at the inks man, who was preparing his needle to begin the symbols on his hips first. They were set to be dark purple, so they matched the rest of his inkings.

I took a seat in front of Drake, taking his hands in mine so he had something to hold onto. I knew these inking would be much shorter and less painful than his first, but that did not mean they would be completely clear of pain. It would hurt, the pain and healing would just be briefer. "Just close your eyes and try to relax, alright? It will be over soon, and then you can rest." Drake breathed deeply through his nose and he nodded.

As Drake relaxed into the chair, still holding my hands, the inks man knelt down next to where Drake sat and carefully he began to draw in the ancient hieroglyphs for the term 'lover' down his left hip. Drake bit down on his bottom lip, trying to keep from making a sound or moving, but whimpers fell from his lips every now and again.

As promised, his left hip took a little under forty-five minutes to complete. Once finished, the man stood to prepare more ink for his right hip. In reality, it was a nice break for Drake to recline in his chair and breathe without clenching his teeth or biting his bottom lip. I leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his slightly swollen lips. "Maybe we should find something else for you to bite on? At this rate, you'll lose your lower lip," I whispered teasingly. He blushed but rolled his eyes.

"No… I'm fine. It just stings…" he murmured into my lips. I nodded my understanding. Believe me, baby, I knew how much inking stung.

The inks man knelt down to Drake's right, moving away the towel to expose his hip. He wiped the area with alcohol and Drake took another deep breath. "It's alright baby… You're doing so good," I whispered, giving his hands a tight squeeze. He nodded, biting down on his bottom lip as the man began to replicate the first inking on his left hip. Another forty-five minutes passed, and the man finished.

"Would you like to wait until another day for the last two?" the man asked kindly but Drake merely shook his head.

"Rather get all of the pain out of the way at once, but thank you," Drake whispered and the elderly man smiled gently as he went back to preparing his inks for the two arm inkings. I smiled at Drake, once again kissing him gently. He was strong for someone of his size, I had to give him that…

It took six long and painful hours to complete the two designs on Drake's arms. About four to five inches away from his shoulders sat two wings, crossing just like they had in his drawing. Each set of wings held an ankh, the same golden color in the drawing and the wings glittered various shades of blue and purple. Several feathers were cascading down his arms, as if the wings has shed them and the detail of the inking was beautiful on both arms. Honestly, I was almost jealous of how beautiful they were…

"Wow…" I whispered, cupping Drake's face in my hands. "Baby, open your eyes. It's done." Drake's blue eyes opened to meet mine and his teeth finally let go of his bottom lip. "Look," I said, gesturing down to his right arm. Drake looked down, amazement covering his face for a moment before he grinned. Yes, he was in pain, that much I was sure of, but he was happy. "Like them?"

Drake just nodded. "They're beautiful," he whispered, and he looked up at the inks man. "Thank you, so much." The man simply smiled and bowed his head in respect to Drake. I figured that would start happening a lot now that Drake was more than a servant. He was my love and people would respect that. People respected Alexander when it became known that he was more than just a pleasure servant…

I kissed Drake gently before leaving him to thank the inks man and pay him. When he was gone and I returned to the balcony, Drake was fast asleep. It was late and his body needed to heal itself, so, as carefully as I could, I picked the boy up into my arms and took him into the bedroom. He turned into me and I just smiled as I laid him on the bed. He remained on his back to keep from aggravating the inkings on his hips and arms but he, somehow, still managed to curl up with me.

"I love you, Drake," I whispered, staring at the boy's face. I could finally look at him and not see Alexander…


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty-Two: I'll Say It's Okay (I Know You Can Tell)**

 **Tommy's POV**

The past couple of days had been nice, considering Adam was busy with meetings and business stuff, and that allowed me to spend a lot of time with Drake. I played my guitar for him as he worked on the mural in my room, adding more and more to it. It seemed to grow more complex than the original design of a sunset with a music staff and notes. Now there were birds, hills, hieroglyphics in the clouds…

The whole thing, in and of itself, was breathtakingly beautiful, but, it seemed, every morning I woke up, Drake was at the wall, working on it. Like there was something else he needed to add. Something more that needed to be painted in the corner or near the floor. I had no problem with it, really. But I realized that I was beginning to miss waking up first and seeing Drake, still fast asleep, in my arms.

But, in truth, I had no right to miss such things. Drake was not my lover. I loved him, perhaps, far too much for my own good. And he admitted that he loved me in return. But it wasn't the same as his and Pharaoh's love for each other. That was something that was truer, more passionate and more… More than what Drake and I had, as much as I hated to believe it. It would never be more.

I shook my head slightly, wanting to clear it of the thoughts that were rushing through it, but they were persistent. Nagging, even. I huffed in frustration with not only my mind, but with myself, too. I'd always thought that I would've fallen for Pharaoh, but no. I fell for the person who looks like his previous, and dead, lover. Awesome. Way to go, me.

"Shut it, you fool," I grumbled to myself, turning a corner and walking down the hall towards the bathroom that was next to mine and Drake's room. He hadn't gone back to his for anything; no clothes, no makeup, nothing. He borrowed mine. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to go back to his own room. After what he'd seen there? Had it been my sister, I wouldn't have wanted to go back to mine, either…

Pushing open the bathroom door, I slipped inside and pulled the shampoo and soap that I'd bought at the market, setting them down on the edge of the tub. I had half a mind to go grab a change of clothes and bathe. It was hot outside and I was a sweating, sticky mess. Sighing, I turned and walked out of the bathroom, crossing down and pushing open my door.

I expected to see Drake still at work at the mural, but he wasn't in the room. His brushes and paints were set aside and he was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, I set the bag down on my bed before walking over to the wardrobe, pulling the doors open and reaching in for a pair of tight fitting gold-colored shorts and a shear white shirt with gold embroidery on the sleeves.

Heading back to the bathroom, I slipped inside, closing the door behind me before setting the clothes down on the counter, next to the sink. I made quick work in stripping myself of my dirty, sweaty clothes, reaching over and turning the faucet handles. Water sloshed, quickly, into the tub. I sat down on the edge, feeling the temperature of the water. Nice and hot. It was funny really; Egypt was so hot and dry, but I always preferred hot baths over cold ones.

Whatever.

Slipping into the tub, I reached over and turned the handles back into place, the water swishing around my chest. I plugged my nose, closing my eyes as I fell back into the water, soaking my entire body before coming back up to the surface, breathing evenly through my mouth and pushing my hair out of my face. I grabbed the soap, dipping it into the water as I scrubbed at my arms and legs of the layers of dirt and sweat and dead skin.

Since I was bathing alone, I found myself scrubbing quickly, taking less time than normal. Usually, I would take the time to enjoy a bath, even if I had to do it quickly. Now? I was eager to get out. I was eager to be productive and do something. Partly, because, I hadn't been with Drake much at all today and I wanted to spend some more time with him. I sighed, rinsing my body off and reaching for the shampoo. Sometimes, I hated being in love.

 _Don't think of it like that. Drake knows you love him. Pharaoh knows that you love him. Drake loves you back. Be content, Tommy. Be content that, even if you can't have him as your own, he's still your friend. Your best friend, in fact._ I sighed again, dipping my head back and washing out the shampoo before standing and pulling the plug to let the tub drain. I reached for a towel, stepping out onto the bath mat and quickly drying off, furiously rubbing at my hair.

Setting the towel aside, I snatched up my clothes and got dressed, brushing out my already-drying-hair. Hanging the towel up, I gathered my dirty clothes, shoving them into a laundry basket before flipping the switch of the light and walking back towards my room. Pushing open the door, I crossed to my vanity, sitting down long enough to apply some eyeliner to my eyes. There was a light knock at the door and I muttered a soft "come in", waiting.

Pharaoh opened the door, stepping inside and walking over to me, pressing a soft kiss to my damp hair. There was little light coming in through the windows, and I had to wonder just how long I'd been out and then in the bath. He stared at my reflection in the mirror for a moment. The look on his face was pleasant, but I glanced into his eyes and saw something far more peaceful there. Like he'd finally… Come to terms with something.

"My Pharaoh?" I inquired and he blinked once, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. I set the eye liner down, turning in my seat to look up at him.

"Drake is asleep in my room. Would you mind joining me for dinner tonight?" He asked. I frowned for a moment before nodding once, standing from my seat.

"If I may, My Pharaoh, why is he sleeping? Is he alright?" I questioned, feeling a twinge of worry clenching in my chest. I couldn't think that Pharaoh might've done something to him— he wouldn't have been like that to his own lover. So, was Drake sick? Or had they.. made love.. in the time that I was gone? I couldn't let myself be surprised, but there was still that ache of jealousy.

Pharaoh chuckled warmly, linking my arm with his as we walked down the hallway towards the private dining room. "He is fine, Tommy, I assure you. He's recovering from some new inking that he received while you were out shopping." I felt my heart lurch to my throat before I swallowed it back down into my chest, and I had to keep myself from getting tense. More inking?

"What marks this time, My Pharaoh?" He sighed softly, and I wasn't sure if it was because of my question or the fact that, by habit, I, still, was not calling him by his name. He couldn't blame me, though. I'd bashed the knowledge of calling him Pharaoh and only Pharaoh into my head for three years. I wasn't too keen on changing that.

"A design he made himself consisting of wings and the ankh. There near his first marks, some feathers on his arms, too. And…" He trailed off softly, as if debating upon telling me the rest.

"And? My Pharaoh?" I pried gently. He sighed.

"And… Marks on his hips." My heart skipped a beat and I forced myself to nod once in understanding. Marks on his hips? In this modern era of Egypt, it was tradition for two people in a committed relationship to have the phrase "lover" tattooed on their hips. I knew Pharaoh had them, already, from his relationship with Alexander. And… I wanted to be angry that Drake now had them, but I couldn't. I had to stop being jealous. I had to.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" I suggested, my voice soft. Pharaoh chuckled softly, nodding once beside me as he walked with me down to dinner.

The following morning, I heard the door creaking open as Drake slipped inside, looking exhausted and, yet, happy. I stretched on my bed, my blanket lazily tucked around my hips as I rubbed at my eyes and waved sleepily at him. Drake chuckled, walking over to me and pressing a soft kiss to my lips. I couldn't stop the moan that tumbled from my throat and into Drake's mouth. He started to pull away, but I sat up, catching his lips again with mine, not wanting to let him go.

Drake moaned gently, bending down lower and pressing his hands into the pillow on either side of my head as my tongue slid between his teeth. I sat up on my elbow, leaning closer to taste more of the inside walls of his mouth, one hand reaching up to cup his face and slide into his hair. Drake groaned quietly, his lips molding around my tongue and sucking on it. The shivers of pleasure rolled down from the back of my throat to my neck, along the vertebrate of my spine and forward along the morning wood that I was sporting.

I groaned, perhaps, a little too loudly, and Drake pulled away, spit connecting our lips. "Morning," he said with a smile, pulling away and snapping the band. I huffed, glancing down at the peak beneath the blanket and I quickly rolled onto my side. Not that it really mattered, but, for some reason, I felt embarrassed.

"Morning to you, too." I said, my eyes finally catching the new tattoos on his arms. I gasped softly, marveling at the beauty. It looked too beautiful for even Pharaoh to have thought up, and the design looked more… Like something Drake would've done. I wondered, briefly, if he, in fact, _had_ done the design himself. My eyes trailed down to his exposed hips, staring deeply at the dark purple hieroglyphics of "lover" set into his skin. He caught my eye before glancing down.

In my peripheral, Drake's face went scarlet, "Uh… I… These are—" he began to say, but I cut him off.

"I know what they are, Drake," I said, trying to be strong and sure, but it was coming off as pained. I had to get over myself… "You don't have to make any excuses to please me. I'm happy for you," I finished with a smile, but if felt forced. And it must've looked it, too, because Drake frowned softly.

"Tommy… I-I'm sorry… I just.." I shook my head, sitting slowly. Drake paused, staring at me as I motioned for him to come back closer to me. He walked forward and I took his hands in mine, placing his fingers over the marks on his hips. I inhaled softly, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes.

"I want you to be happy. And these make you happy, Drake. Don't let me get in the way of that. I'll be fine," I commented with another smile, less forced. Drake blinked before smiling back, leaning down and kissing me gently. I moaned, reaching up and touching his face gently before I pulled away. He whined and I smirked.

"How about you finish that painting of yours, then, hmm? Before you get anymore brilliant ideas to add onto it." I commented and Drake's face flamed a soft red. He glanced over his shoulder to the mural, still in waiting to be finished.

"I think I'll always have new ideas. But that just means you'll have to let me keep painting your walls to express them…" He giggled and I pulled him down into another sweet kiss.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty-Three: Come On Let Your Colors Burst  
Drake's POV**

Adam had decided earlier that day that he wanted to have a small, unopened dinner tonight. Only Cassidy, Tommy and myself were sitting with him. It was a square table, one of us set on each side. There was no head of the table, making us all equals for the night. Five courses came through, of which I could barely finish half of but they all seemed to be pleased just by the fact that I was eating. Alright, I get it. I'm too skinny, my apologizes.

After dessert was served, Cassidy stood from the table. "Well, I think I am going to retire for the night," he said with a yawn. He looked tired. Truth be told, I was tired too but I was almost positive that I wouldn't be getting any sleep any time soon. Adam had that look in his eye every time he glanced in my direction and I knew by his smile that he was planning something. Plotting new things to do to me every time he looked at me for even the briefest of moments. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Adam," he added, stretching before walking around the table to give Adam a gentle kiss of thanks and departure.

"Not a problem, Cass," Adam said, returning the kiss with a big smile. Oh joy, he was in an extremely good mood for whatever reason. That usually meant long nights of no sleep but much more… enjoyable things.

Cassidy smiled and kissed both Tommy and myself on the lips gently before wishing us a good night. I didn't mind kissing Cassidy. He was nothing like Brad, for which I was thankful.

Once Cassidy was gone, Adam looked from Tommy to me. "And how about we call it a night ourselves, boys?" he asked, a little smirk crossing over his face. Tommy smirked as well, but of course, I only blushed.

"Can we really call it a night if we aren't going to be sleeping for a while longer?" I asked, trying to ignore my blush. I wanted to work on how bashful I was, but it never really seemed to help. I was always blushing and I was always flustered. It didn't make sense to me really, I was never like this _before_ I was brought to Adam. They both laughed at me, for which I simply rolled my eyes. Apparently I was always good for a laugh. Nice to know that everyone took me seriously, Ra…

"We can call it a night because we'll be going to bed," Adam said with a deep, sexual teasing in his tone. I'd heard him use it before. It was nothing new, really and I had to admit that it was quite… arousing in its own way. He stood from his chair, walking over to stand by mine instead. "We'll have a nice time and you know it," he whispered into my ear and then nibbling on the lobe. I moaned quietly, dropping my fork onto my plate. "Come on baby," he said, nipping the lobe once and, like an obedient puppy, I stood up, ready to follow him.

Adam put an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. My new inkings were still sore but they were more of an annoyance than an actual pain, so I just chose to block them out and Adam holding onto one of them didn't bother me in the slightest. "I was talking to you too, Tommy," Adam said, smirking over at the blond. Tommy blushed ever so slightly before he, too, stood to join us.

The pharaoh took us out of the small dining area, leading us through many twisting halls and corridors that I had amazingly memorized by now. He kept one arm around my waist and the other around Tommy's, holding up both to him. I didn't mind it really. I loved being in his arms, for sex and just for the sake of being there. When we got to his room, however, he let go of me and pulled Tommy aside.

I frowned, watching the two from the door. Adam was bent over, whispering softly into Tommy's ear. His chocolate eyes would wander to me every few seconds and a small smirk spread across his face. Awesome. They were talking about me while I was _in_ the room. How nice. Tommy whispered something back to Adam, a short look of worry passing over his features before a smile crept back up onto his plump lips. I really wanted to know what they were talking about but I wasn't meant to… That much was obvious when Adam pulled Tommy away from me. But, at the same time I felt that, if they were talking about me, I had a right to know what they were talking about.

Something told me that I would be finding out soon even without being told.

After a moment, Adam walked back over to me and he took my hands in his, lacing our fingers together. "Smile, honey. At least pretend like you're happy to be here," he teased, leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. I moaned, kissing him back but it was gentle. Nothing sexual or demanding about it. As much as I loved our rough and dirty kisses, I believed this was my favorite type of kiss. It held more love and less lust.

He pulled away, leaving me blushing and whining for another kiss. "Baby, don't be so impatient," he whispered, a soft chuckle rolling off of his lips and he pulled me by the hand over towards the massive bed. I still had not figured out why one person needed a bed so large even if he was sharing it with one or two people on some nights. The bed was more like an ocean of blankets and pillows.

"I'm not being impatient…" I argued, but I supposed I kind of was. I wanted to be touched and kissed and loved. Adam believed in foreplay but it was always so intimate that it just felt like part of the actual sex. I wasn't used to _taking it slow._

"Strip for us, baby," Adam whispered, pressing his lips into my hair. I blushed wildly as he sat down on the bed, looking up at me with big, waiting eyes. Tommy climbed up onto the bed and sat next to Adam, smiling up at me. "Tease us to the point where we need to have you more than we need the oxygen in the air."

"I…" I started to say but the word didn't have any hopes of becoming a coherent sentence. I couldn't believe Adam just asked me to strip tease for him and Tommy, but it shouldn't have surprised me. I didn't have a problem with the stripping so much as the teasing part. How was I supposed to make them want me so badly just by taking my clothes off? Dance for them? Touch myself as if I wouldn't allow anyone else to, driving them to believe that they had to claim me?

That they had to own me?

Well, quite frankly, I had absolutely no idea what they expected me to do, but I ruled out dancing for them because that would probably just make me look like an idiot. So I decided to go with the second option. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time they watched me touch myself… Ra, that was so embarrassing.

Their eyes burned into my flesh and slowly, almost painfully so, I began to pull my shirt up and over me head. It was a light, airy material that you could practically see through. I made sure to run my fingers slowly over my own skin as I pulled it off because I knew that, if they saw me do it, they would want to do it themselves. I dropped the shirt to the floor, groaning softly as I trailed my hands back down my chest, tweaking a nipple gently. It felt strange to do this to myself, instead of having Tommy or Adam tease me into hardness, but it still felt good.

Almost too good.

I pinched one and then the other, pulling a soft moan from my lips. I was beginning to wish I had something to lean against, but since I didn't, I just had to be careful not to fall over. One of my hands remained by my nipples, pinching and twisting one of the hard buds, but my other hand slowly traveled down my stomach and over the soft material of my shorts. I arched into my own grasp, moaning a little louder than before, but I wasn't the only one moaning. Both Tommy and Adam moaned the moment I grabbed myself through my shorts.

This was almost too easy. Fuck, I could have been a stripper this entire time and I settled for farming?! Ra, was I stupid.

"Drake…" Adam whispered, but I was a little too far gone. My hand slipped down the front of my shorts and I gasped, gripping my already hard member tightly in my hand, stroking it behind the curtain of clothing. Adam whimpered and so did I. It just felt too good… After a moment of teasing both my nipple and erection, however, I pulled my hand out of my shorts and the other dropped away from my nipple. Grabbing the hem of my shorts, I slowly began to pull them down as well. The speed of me taking my shirt off was about twice as fast as this was. I made it a note to run my fingers along my thighs and down my calves.

Carefully I stepped out of the shorts and I tossed them off to join my shirt. At this point, I really didn't care where my clothes ended up. They were just an obstacle anyway. As I straightened back up, I ran my hands up my calves and up the insides of my thighs. I could feel the scars from Brad's knife resting forever in the baby fat, but I was enjoying touching myself just a little too much to care.

Once my hand reached my groin, I cupped them over my starting-to-throb erection and I gasped, bucking my hips forward. My knees felt weak, but I didn't stop yet. I wasn't getting the reactions I wanted from Adam and Tommy yet, though, by the way they were staring at me, I knew they were enjoying it. But not as much as I was.

I pressed one hand to the inside of my thigh, brushing my fingers gently over my entrance and I moaned again. My other hand wrapped around my erection for the second time and I delicately began pumping with slight twists and flicks of the wrist. Every few moments, I would sweep over the slit. Those were the moments that I truly felt like I would bring myself to my end without any help from Adam or Tommy.

My eyes were squeezed shut as I slowly began to press a finger into myself. I gasped, my jaw hanging slack. I was so into pleasing myself, I wasn't even aware of Tommy and Adam being in the room anymore. At least, I wasn't until Adam wrapped his arms around me. He took both of my wrists into his hands, pulling my own away from myself and I whined. "Drake, if you keep this up, nobody is going to touch you before you come undone," he whispered into the back of my neck. I could feel his member pressing into my backside and I moaned, pushing back on him.

He gasped, holding me tightly to him. "Fuck, Drake… You haven't done this whole strip teasing thing for other people, have you?" he asked and my cheeks flamed.

"N-no…" I whispered as he pushed me down onto the mattress. He quickly stripped him and, from a glance in Tommy's direction, I noticed that he was already stripped. By himself or by Adam, I wasn't entirely sure. Nor did I care. I was trembling with need, but Adam didn't look like he was in as much of a hurry as me. I'd just teased myself into a painful state and, I realized now, that was probably a mistake. Adam was going to make me wait for it. He was probably going to tease me some more, pushing me right up to my breaking point but not letting me let go.

"Adam…" I whispered, practically begging to be touched. My erection hurt and was demanding attention that, so far, it wasn't getting. The king just chuckled and plucked a familiar bottle of lotion from beside the bed. He coated his fingers in it before pushing me down onto my back. "Adam please… I don't need to be prepped, I just need to be-" His tongue forcing its way down my throat silenced me immediately.

We kissed passionately for several long minutes before Adam pushed my thighs apart. "Trust me baby, you may have gone without prep and lube before, but tonight you will definitely need it," he whispered into my lips. I blushed, suddenly very worried about what Adam had in store for me tonight. "Just relax. You'll be rewarded, I promise," he muttered, his index finger circling around my entrance. I whined, heat pouring from every inch of my body. I was desperate from my own fingers touching myself. Now I _needed_ someone else to take care of me…

"Relax, baby," he whispered, pressing his lips to my neck, kissing gently before biting down. I cried out, forcing my hips into Adam's. He moaned into my skin, his tongue lashing out at the soon-to-be hicky. His finger slowly prodded into my, easing in slowly at first. Painfully slow, if you asked me.

"Adam please…" I whimpered, biting down on my bottom lip. He chuckled, pulling away from my neck. Leaving what I was sure to be a nice bite mark framed with his saliva. My neck would probably be purple tomorrow, but I didn't care.

"Eager tonight, are we?" he mused, pulling his finger out just to shove it back in again. I rocked my hips down onto his finger, trying to, basically fuck myself on it, but one finger wasn't big enough... "Calm down, baby… We'll get there, I promise. No reason to get overexcited. You'll be okay. You're in good hands, you know that," he said, pushing a second finger into me, scissoring me in attempts to stretch me even more.

I threw my head back, crying out and throwing my arms over my eyes. I wanted to touch myself but I was almost positive that if I tried, he would simply bat my hand away. A third finger pushed its way into me and I, once again, began to rock my hips against them, trying to get more friction than what Adam was currently supplying me with. I was acting like a whore and I knew it, but currently I didn't care.

In reality, I _was_ Adam's whore. I was willing to do anything with him, anytime and in any location. Boy I hoped he never found out about that last detail… Ra only knows where we'd end up fucking.

His head bent down and he pressed a kiss to my groin, scrapping his teeth along my erection gently. I arched, practically screaming as a fourth finger pushed itself into me. I remembered when having anything penetrate me was painful but now? Now I could take the bulk and I loved every minute of it… Adam's lips wrapped around the head of my being as he fisted me and I was screaming like a five year old who's favorite toy had been broke. Obviously I was just screaming for a different reason.

I had to fight hard not to come undone in Adam's mouth. It was difficult, especially when he swallowed me whole and started to hum with me half way down his throat (don't be fooled by my small frame, I was by no means small in this particular department). "Fuck… Fuck!" I whined, nearly coming when Adam's fingers jammed into that spot within me. The only thing that kept me from coming was Adam wrapping the fingers of his free hand tightly around the base of my erection, forcing my orgasm back.

He sat up, pulling back from me to look at Tommy. The blond was wide eyed and palming his own erection carefully, much as I had done when I first witnessed Tommy take Adam into his mouth. "Tommy, the ring please?" he asked and the blond merely smirked, crawling to one side of the bed and reaching down to where we usually left the lotion. He pulled a golden ring encrusted with rubies and emeralds up from underneath the bed and quickly made his way back over to us. "Put it on him," Adam commanded and my eyes went wide.

Tommy came up behind me, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. "Calm down, Drake, honestly," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss into my shoulder blade. He stroke my erection gently, his hands easily slicking up with salvia and pre-cum. I leaned back into him, moaning like a bitch, however, when I felt cool metal being pressed down my being and placed to rest tightly at the base, I pushed him away.

"What the fuck?!" I hissed, but Adam's hands landed on my shoulders and he turned me to face him.

"He's only doing what I told him to do," Adam smirked, kissing me gently. "This will keep you from… coming prematurely…" he explained. His hands were slick, and I could only guess that he already slicked himself with the same lotion he had used to prep me.

The Pharaoh sat on his shins, much like he had done the night we admitted out love for each other. He held his arms out to me and, like I had done last time, I mounted him, also sitting on my knees. I glanced back at Tommy with questioning eyes. We'd mostly ignored him the entire night and I was beginning to feel guilty… But when I actually saw the smirk on his face, that guilt was gone. They were both planning something, and I was afraid of whatever that something was.

Adam's hands gripped my hips tightly. I knew he was trying to be mindful of the ink but the plan to be gentle or avoid touching them was basically impossible. Slowly, he lowered me down onto his erection and I cried out, burying my face into his neck. He let me adjust once I was nestled against him, but the overall adjusting time was more like a minute before he actually started pushing his hips up into mine. I cried out, wrapping my arms around his neck, my hands tangling tightly into his hair, as if my life depended on it.

Before I knew it, Adam was pounding into me. I was amazed he could do it so powerfully in the position we were in, like I was complaining. He held onto me tightly and every thrust pulled a wail or moan from my lips. To be completely truthful, I completely forgot that Tommy was in the room. I just assumed that his moans were either my own or Adam's.

It wasn't until I felt a second pair of hands on my waist that I remember Tommy was in the room. "Fuck, Drake…" he whispered into my ear, his chest pressing right up against my back. "Why do you have to be so damned perfect and so _fuckable_?" he asked as I cried out from a rather hard thrust. A blush swept across my cheeks again and I turned my head to look at Tommy. He was wearing a mischievous grin and I wondered what he was up to…

I watched him in confusion, but when I felt a second pressure at my entrance, everything was clear. Adam taking Tommy to the side to talk to him before we even began. The need for preparation and lube. The _cock ring_. It all made sense now and I couldn't believe that Adam had really suggested to Tommy that they fuck me at the same time.

Could I even hold both of them? I had a hard time believing I would be able to. They were both… large and my backside was not that big. I whimpered, looking at Tommy with pleading eyes. He smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek. "Just relax, baby, you'll be okay," he whispered and he began to carefully shove himself up into me, pressing right up against Adam's member.

I cried out, screaming in pain. The extra bulk hurt, but my body had been through so much pain mixed with pleasure in however long I had been here, that it was nothing really new. Yes, it hurt, excruciatingly so, but I dealt with it without the feelings of being torn in half. "F-fuck…" I whined, my forehead falling against Adam's shoulder once Tommy was fully encased inside of me.

Adam rubbed circles into my back, trying to calm me but nothing was working. "It's alright baby," he whispered, pressing gentle kisses into my hair. "You're okay." I just nodded and after a few extra minutes of adjusting to having two people inside of me, they began to rock their hips in unison. I wasn't entirely sure how they managed to act as one person, but it felt more like one giant bulk instead of two different people.

When they began thrusting, I nearly lost it. I screamed with every thrust. Yes, it was painful but these were screams of pure ecstasy. I arched into Adam and reached back, grabbing Tommy's hair in my left hand. Every thrust pushed both boys up into that spot that drove me crazy. I couldn't see straight and white flashes constantly invaded my vision. There was no such thing as a simple moan anymore. Every movement drew a scream from my lips.

It seemed like this had been going on for hours. The actual amount of time, I couldn't be sure. There were several points where I was absolutely sure I was going to come, but the cock ring held me back from it. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever break through its hold on me. My throat was starting to hurt from all the screaming, but I just couldn't silence them. Especially when Adam and Tommy began to thrust faster, harder, less in rhythm but still in time with one another.

Voodoo, I swore it was voodoo them kept them moving together. "Please… fuck… Tommy, Adam, _please_!" I cried and they both moaned, shoving up into me one more time. I screamed, probably louder than I had the entire night. I couldn't stand the pressure of so much heat anymore. I squeezed my eyes shut, pulling harshly on both Tommy and Adam's hair. "Fuck…. Tommy… Ad- _AHHH_!" I shouted, my orgasm finally pushing past the cock ring. My seed splattered up onto my stomach, chest and face as well as Adam's. Some even his Tommy's face, which amazed me but I would have to marvel at that wonder later.

I tightened around them both for just a moment, long enough for both of them to gasp. Their motion stopped, both of them buried deeply inside of me as one came and them the other. I wasn't entirely sure which was which, but if I had to guess, I would have said that Adam had come first. I whined, falling forward against Adam, who held me tightly against his chest. "You're amazing, baby…" he whispered but I was too tired to do anything but smile at him.

Tommy pulled out of me slowly and I cried out softly, my voice already hoarse from all of the screaming. "So good…" Tommy whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist again. His fingers delicately pealed the ring from me and he tossed it to the side. I was exhausted and all I could think about was sleeping. Adam slowly pulled out of me and laid me down on the bed. Tommy curled up to me on one side and Adam on the other. Usually Adam was in the center, but given what we had just done, it was only fitting that I remained in the center.

"How was it for you, baby?" Adam asked, licking a little bit of cum off of my cheek. I simply glared at him and then Tommy.

"Fuck you both…" I muttered, my eyes fluttering open a few times before I simply couldn't hold them wide long enough to see anything. Both of them chuckled, kissing me gently but before Tommy's lips even pressed to mine, I was out.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty-Four: If there's a place that I could be, then I'd be another memory**

 **Adam's POV**

My fingers trailed delicately along Drake's hips, tracing the hieroglyphics that were inked into his skin. A soft smile pulled at my lips as I looked over to his face, so sweet and peaceful. Tommy's arms were snaked around his waist, his head resting against Drake's left shoulder. My heart skipped a beat in my chest and I smiled even more. Drake's long locks were fanned out on the pillow that his head rested on. His hair had gotten so long… I wouldn't have been surprised if it was closer to his shoulders now.

The pads of my fingers slid gently along his bottom lip, feeling his breath as it ghosted in and out between his teeth. I had to keep myself from stealing a kiss from those perfect lips. I didn't want to chance waking him. He'd had a long night last night and I knew he needed his rest. As it was, I didn't think he'd be able to walk anytime soon after what he'd gone through.

I slid off the bed as quietly as I could, walking up and over to my wardrobe. I pulled the doors open, reaching inside and plucking a pair of white trousers from inside, holding them over my arm as I crossed to the bathroom that was just through a door on the eastern wall of my room. Shutting the door, I set the trousers down on the counter of the sink, walking to the other side of the room and turning on the faucets for a bath. The tub was huge, stretching at least forty feet across, both ways, and about five feet deep.

I sat on the edge of the tub, my hair hanging in greasy strands around my face. I felt disgusted with it, but I knew that such a feeling wouldn't last long. When the tub was filled, I shut the faucets off and slid into the warm water, sighing softly. The water sloshed around my chest and arms as I bent my knees and dipped below the surface, soaking my face and hair before coming back up.

Exhaling a breath, I shook my hair out of my face before, literally, swimming across the tub to retrieve the shampoo and soap that I needed to get clean. Holding the bottle, I tilted it upside down, squeezing the contents into the palm of my hand before setting it back into place. I slid my hands into my hair, lathering it thoroughly, scrubbing and massaging my scalp deeply before dipping my hands into the water to clean them off.

I sunk below the surface again, quickly scrubbing the shampoo out before resurfacing in a new spot so as to not get soap back into my hair. I sighed softly, wiping my eyes once before grabbing the soap. I dipped it into the water, getting it wet before running it up and down my arms.

I made quick work of washing my body and my face, rinsing off before pulling myself from the tub. I grabbed a towel off of a small shelf that stood next to the edge of the tub, drying myself off before wrapping the towel around my waist. I stood in front of the mirror that sat behind the sink, running fingers through my wet hair, trying to smoothen it out a little bit. I pulled the towel from my hips, setting it aside as I snatched up my trousers and stepped into them, letting them hang loosely off of my hips.

Opening the door, I stepped out quietly, glancing over to the bed. Tommy and Drake hadn't moved a muscle in the time that I had been bathing. I smiled softly, staring at them as I walked down my room towards my vanity. My beautiful boys. They were the most precious things to me next to all of Egypt, herself. Shaking my head, I sat down at my vanity, picking up and applying my eyeliner in thick, even lines around my eyes, smudging them just enough that they didn't look so… Intense. Setting the liner back down, I stood from my seat, grabbing a pendant off of the surface and clasping it around my neck.

Deeming myself decent enough, I walked across the room, carefully opening my chamber doors so as to not disturb my sleeping boys. I shut the door, venturing down the hallway. It must've been early afternoon, for laundry boys and other servants were bustling back and forth, bowing their heads in respect when they saw me. I would just smile or say "good afternoon" to them as they passed.

I found myself walking down a familiar path towards the library. My heart stuttered in my chest but I just inhaled deeply, following my feet as they carried me towards the rooming of learning. There were fewer servants in this part of the palace, but that was because the laundry rooms and such were on the other side of my chambers. I would've had to have gone the other direction to see more of them.

I sighed softly. I really needed to consider my servants more often. I was sure they had families that they missed, loved ones they cared about. If I was ensuring the safety of Drake's family, did I not owe it to the rest of them that they had some time to spend with their own families? I bit down on my lip, turning a corner and walking down another long stretch of hall; the sandstone floors were warm from the sunlight and heat, the walls painted with ancient stories and legends from the old ages.

Perhaps it would be in better interest to grant the rest of my servants some of the liberties that Drake and Tommy had. I respected them well enough and helped with their families when I could, but I knew they needed more than just money. They needed time together. And, perhaps, that was something I envied about most of my servants. At least they still had their families…

I shook my head to myself, stopping at the doors to the library. I inhaled slowly, reaching out and taking the handle into my palm, pulling the door open slowly as stepping inside. I shut the door behind me, not bothering to lock it this time. If someone was in need of the library's use, I was not going to keep them from that. Besides, this was not the last time I'd come here. There was no nagging confusion or grief in my heart. This was to be pleasant.

I walked down the aisles of shelves and books before reaching the center, staring up at the massive peacock's bright blue eyes. I smiled softly, taking a step forward, my bare feet scuffing along the Persian carpet. I glanced down at it, remembering that I'd ordered the old one to be burned… I shuddered softly, looking back up at the bird before sighing softly, placing a hand on the ring of the moon.

"Alexander… I.. I know it's not my place, but I want to apologize for what Brad did… For what he did to Drake in front of you. He's being punished for everything… His execution is in a few days," I whispered gently to the bird, glancing through the ring and imagining that I saw _Alexander standing there with a gentle smile on his face. His hair framing his high cheek bones, hands clasped together behind his back._

I rested my head against the ring, staring at the image of my imagination before me. I knew, very well, that he wasn't there, standing before me. He'd been gone for over six years, I couldn't pretend that he was still here, as much as I wanted to. I sighed softly, looking down at the floor beneath my feet before glancing back up. _He was still there, but this time he'd moved forward, standing a little closer than before, smiling sweetly._

"Things have been difficult without you… But Drake," _he grinned_ , and, as happy as I felt, I only saw myself as a desperate fool, painting his memory in front of me, "Drake has been more than wonderful for me. I love him…" _Alexander's body shook as he chuckled_ , but it was silent to my ears. Just a memory…

"Are you proud of me?" I asked, and _his silent laughter stopped, his face serious for a moment before he smiled again, nodding once._ I chuckled softly, feeling my heart skip a beat as I grinned, "Oh, good. Thank you, Alexander," I muttered. _Alexander grinned ear to ear to match mine as he stepped forward, leaning forward to press his lips to my cheek—_

I felt a ghost of a touch, but I had to wonder if I was just imagining it. After all, I'd imagined that Alexander had been standing in front of me the whole time, when, in truth, I was talking to only air. I sighed, feeling tears stinging my eyes as I closed my lids, leaning heavily against the stone ring of the statue.

"Adam?" I opened my eyes, glancing over as Cassidy came around a corner of books and documents. I smiled slightly, pushing off of the statue as he came towards me, a gentle look on his face. "I heard you talking to Alexander…" He said softly. My face heated up and I smiled, nodding once.

"Yes, just another visit…" I told him, glancing up at the peacock's eyes. Cassidy's gaze followed mine as he walked around to the front of the statue, staring in marvel at the bird.

"You know, sometimes it's hard to believe that he's been gone for over six years…" I swallowed the painful lump in my throat as Cassidy spoke. He glanced at me before sighing softly. "I apologize. I should not speak of such troublesome memories such as this." He commented, but I just shook my head.

"No, it's fine, Cassidy. It.. It doesn't bother me nearly as much anymore." I said gently, and Cassidy smiled slightly.

"I'm glad that it doesn't… Has Drake healed you, then? Your heartache?" I glanced over at him, my eyes flickering back and forth between his. I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest and I looked away, a smile tugging at my lips as I leaned my head against the ring of the statue again.

"I guess he has," I commented under my breath and Cassidy's face broke out into a grin. I chuckled, shaking my head as he motioned for me to walk with him. I pushed off from the statue again, my fingers lingering on the feathers of the peacock before I dropped my hand and let go. I could still feel the ghost of a kiss on my cheek, though, even as I walked with Cassidy out of the library.

"He's good for you, in my opinion," Cassidy began to say, "He's the right amount of modest and bold all in one, from what I've seen of him. And, it seems, whenever he's around, you're just… You're at peace." I glanced over at him, frowning. He licked his lips before continuing.

"Before Drake came along, you always had this haunted presence about you. Tommy is a good lover and friend to you, but I know he wasn't what you needed. You needed someone who wasn't Alexander but knew how to love you just the same as he did." Cassidy explained, his pace slow as I walked with him down the hallways of the palace. "Drake may physically be a reincarnate of Alexander, and he may even have some similar personality traits, but both are very different from one another. Drake is more daring, more willing to accept and learn. He's eager to please and serve you in whatever method you require.

"Alexander was daring but he was also very quiet, if you remember. He liked learning in a very textbook fashion instead of hands-on. Don't get me wrong, he liked experimenting as well, but he wanted reasons and explanations and why things were the way they were. I'm not saying that Drake will agree with anything he's told, no, but… He's more of one to find out and accept things for the way they are on his own. In fact, I believe Drake to find most technical business rather dull," Cassidy said with a chuckle.

I hadn't truly thought about it, but he was right. Despite their similarities, as learning and loving individuals, Drake and Alexander were about as different as my mother and father were. I sighed softly, smiling as Cassidy and I continued to walk at our leisurely pace.

"So, you believe Drake to be one to fall asleep at one of our meetings, whereas Alexander was more involved with them?" I joked, and Cassidy laughed aloud, nodding once with a smile on his face.

"Precisely," Cassidy said before stopping beside a door— his door. "I believe I will leave you for now, Adam. I'm sure you would like to spend more time with your boys, and, as it is, I've got some of my own matters that I need to attend to. With Brad's… Permanent absence, my work load is a little heavier than what it used to be," I noticed Cassidy's last sentence was full of strange and disgust. I knew he was still repulsed by what Brad had done, but I couldn't even begin to imagine the true depths of it. After all, he and Brad had been lovers…

"Alright, Cassidy. Perhaps, after this week, you and I will be able to really start knuckling down and getting to work with technology and job offerings." I suggested, and Cassidy nodded once, leaving a gentle, friendly kiss on my lips before locking himself up in his room. I sighed gently, strolling back down the hallways and towards my chamber.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty-Five: There's Something 'Bout the Way You Move  
Tommy's POV**

"Hey, look who's back from the dead," I chuckled as Drake walked into my bedroom. He hadn't been up and about for a few days. Not since Pharaoh- Adam and I had made love to him at the same time. I could only assume that he was in as much pain as he was the days after losing his virginity to Adam. "How's your backside doing?" I asked, a soft smirk tugging at the corners of my lips.

Drake blushed, glaring at me for a moment. "I've told Adam this already, and I'm going to tell you. If you even _think_ about touching anything below my hips for the next few days, I will cut your dick off," he hissed at me. He set his bag down on my bed as well as a ten by twenty inch canvas. Something told me that he had another painting in mind and that he would be starting on it within a few minutes.

"Baby… that's not fair…" I mumbled, pouting softly. He turned his head to stare me in the eyes.

"Tommy, it still hurts to walk or even move to much because of what you both put me through the other night. I have absolutely no sexual appetite right now. When the pain is gone, I'll let you know," he said, pulling out several brushes and setting them in a neat row, largest to smallest. He also pulled out a variety of paints, mostly black, blues and greens.

I walked up behind him, slowly wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing gentle kisses to the back of his neck. A soft moan escaped his lips and he leaned back into me. "I'm sorry, Drake… I know it hurt but just remember, it was all Adam's idea, not mine," I said with a soft chuckle. Drake laughed softly, turning in my arms to face me. "I really am sorry, Drake, but try to deny that you didn't love it."

"Once the pain faded it was… a beautiful balance of three lovers, but now my ass aches," he muttered into my shoulder. "It's like every new sexual experience has to be painful. None of them can just be pleasure filled without the aftershock of agony."

"Well, maybe you can have your way with Adam sometime. Then he'll feel what he always puts you through," I said and a blush spread like wild fire over Drake's face. "You won't be expected to… always take it. He'll spread his thighs for you sometime, I'm sure," I added. Drake looked so embarrassed that he could die, but it was true. If Adam loved Drake as much as he claimed to, he would have no problem letting Drake make love to him.

"I can't see him ever… bottoming me," he whispered. "I'm not even sure I would have the courage to take someone. I'm too… small and I'm the baby, remember? I'm the runt of the group." He huffed, putting his hands on my chest. I smiled, pressing my lips gently into his hair.

"Oh Drake, I'm sure Adam would love to have you inside of him, even if you are thirteen years younger than him," I teased. He obviously didn't find that as funny as I did because he put his hands flat on my chest and pushed me away from him. I pouted. "Aw, come on, I'm just teasing!"

Drake turned back to his brushes and paints. "Everyone teases me," he replied, taking the slab he used for paint mixing out of his bag. "I'm not really sure if my life would be the same without someone teasing me. I suppose it's something I should be used to by now." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Paints, one by one, were squirted out onto the slab and Drake stared down at the brushes, trying to decide which would be best to start with. "You know you can tease me whenever you want to, baby," I said to him, walking over to stand next to him. He looked up at me, his big blue eyes sparkling in the Egyptian sun pouring through the windows. I couldn't fight the smile that pulled at my lips. "So what are you painting today?" I asked. He smiled a little.

"A peacock… for Adam," he whispered, almost as if he was afraid to utter the words. What did he have to be afraid of? Maybe the memory of Brad raping him in front of Alexander's statue? Drake still didn't know about Alexander, and the idea of him painting a bird that Adam had so openly used to express his dead lover worried me a lot. Drake was, unknowingly painting a figurative gateway straight towards Alexander. I still believed Adam should tell Drake about the boy he had once been in love with, but I didn't see that happening really. They were both happy and if nobody told Drake about Alexander, nothing would interrupt that happiness.

Ha. Did life ever move so smoothly? I think not…

"He'll love that…" I whispered, my tongue itching to spill the truth. I wanted so badly to tell Drake what the statue in the library truly meant. I wanted him to know of Adam's dead lover. It was wrong of Adam to keep that information from Drake and if he found out from me, I knew it would hurt him even more than coming from Adam. The Pharaoh wasn't doing himself any favors by not telling Drake. If he ever found out about Alexander before Adam told him… The end result would be catastrophic…

But Adam would love a painting of a peacock, that I knew that true. "I can't really explain why I want to paint one… I was sort of hypnotized by that statue in the library." My heart began to freeze over in the pits of my chest. Drake… If you knew what that statue really was. "I thought it was beautiful. It comforted me, as stupid as that may sounds. I had even talked to it once, asked it for help when Brad was… abusing me." His voice had grown very faint, almost a whisper. "But Brad overheard me talking to it and he… Well…" The boy fell silent, his eyes transfixed on the blank canvas in front of him.

"Shh, baby…" I whispered, running my hands soothingly up and down his arms. "It's alright. Brad will be executed in two days time. He won't ever hurt you again. He didn't deserve to touch you…" I whispered, pressing a tender kiss into his chocolate locks. He smelled of vanilla. "You don't need to upset yourself by talking about him. He doesn't deserve your tears."

Drake nodded, a ghost of a smile passing over his features. "I know, but sometimes I feel like he's still there, lurking behind me in the halls. It sounds stupid, I'm aware but… his memory haunts me." There was something about the way Drake spoke that made it sound like he was… determined to finish something or to gain something. I wasn't entirely sure what that something was and I almost believed I was just imagining it.

After a moment, Drake just shook his head. "But you're right. I shouldn't be thinking about him. That short chapter of misery in my life is over…" Spoken like a true artist, Drake. "Everything's better now and… I'm happy. I have Adam and I have you." I blushed lightly, my heart slamming into my ribcage full force. "I know I wouldn't have survived here without you, Tommy. Thank you…"

"You're welcome, Drake," I whispered into his hair, hugging him tightly for a moment. "Now why don't you demonstrate your insanely unrealistic painting skills for me again?" I asked and he just chuckled. He took the canvas off of the bed and set it down on the floor, propping it up against the bed's frame. He selected three brushes, all different sizes, after careful consideration and observation of the many laying across my bed. Lastly, he took the slab of paints and set it down on the floor next to the canvas.

Slowly, Drake eased himself down onto the floor. He groaned softly, probably still the soreness and stiffness radiating from his most private regions. The poor boy had taken so much abuse and yet, he was so willing to… I had to say I admired him as a lover. He truly knew what it was to be one. And how long had he actually been sexually active? Three months? Maybe four?

"Could you get me a dish of water? So I have something to clean the brushes with," he asked me and when he gave me a tiny pout, I couldn't deny him anything. I nodded, rushing to the bathroom to get a small container of water for the artist. When I came back, Drake was mixing blues and greens together. He had already started painting the background of the photo and when he was done mixing the paints, he started outlining the majestic bird onto the canvas.

I sat down behind him and to the left, so I didn't disturb any of his paints while he worked. I was amazed at how quickly he made every detail but nothing about it looked rushed. It was like the image just poured out of the brush, as if imprinted with what the end results would look like already. Drake's hands, I realized, were good for a lot of things besides touching and teasing.

I marveled at them, amazed at how the tiniest flick of the wrist could make a beautiful feather. With every brush stroke and every passing moment, Drake's painting became more and more life like. I had to admit that I found it even more beautiful than Alexander's statue. Every single detail made the bird on the canvas look real. I half expected it to stick a foot out and walk away from us, but it remained stationary.

Time passed with no notice. I wasn't entirely sure how long I sat with my legs crossed, watching Drake turn a blank canvas into a masterpiece. His hands and thighs were covered in paint, but he didn't seem to notice. He was in his element and he was so into his painting and his brush strokes that I firmly believed, if I tried to speak to him, he would not hear me.

For the minutes or hours (I couldn't really be sure at this point) we sat there, I was in awe, wondering how such talent and beauty could have been vested on such a simple farm boy. Well, simple was definitely not the right word to describe Drake. He was intelligent and an extremely quick learner. He picked things up as if they were second nature to him. Two perfectly good examples, painting and expressional art, as well as the art of making love. Look at what an expert he had become at both of those? I had no doubt that he would pick up almost everything he tried as easily.

"Tommy?" I blinked, looking away from Drake's wrists and hands to see his face. He wore a soft smirk, a little bit of green paint swept across his cheek where he must have wiped his face or something. "You're staring at me." I blushed softly, instantly looking away.

"I apologize, I was just so… interested in how you paint like its natural. You're just… you're so amazing at it," I mumbled and he smiled a little, leaning back to press a gentle kiss to my lips.

"Because it is natural for me," he whispered into my lips and I moaned. We kissed tenderly for a moment before he pulled back. "Come bathe with me, Tommy?" he asked, looking up at me with those big, crystal eyes of him. How exactly could I refuse him? I couldn't.

"Of course, Drake. We need to get read for dinner anyway," I said, standing and slowly helping him up. I was mindful of his aching backside and stiff joints from sitting on the stone floor for so long. Even I was sore and I hadn't had two people make love to me at once a few days ago.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty-Six: What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems?**

 **Drake's POV**

I wasn't sure if I was being brave or incredibly stupid. My heart was pounding in my chest like a hyperactive drum as I followed the guard down the halls of the dungeons. The lights on the walls were dim, giving off a feeling of hopelessness and almighty ending. There were no hieroglyphics or paintings on the wall. Everything was bare, devoid of any sense of peace. I kept gnawing on my bottom lip as I turned a corner with the man, the pace slow and, almost, eerie.

I'd come to the conclusion after dinner last night that, despite everything that had happened and all the things that had gotten better, I needed to see Brad before his execution. I needed to know why… Why me? Why did he hurt me so badly? I didn't want to think this way, but why me when there were other servants? Other people in this land who would've been _willing_ , or unwilling, if that was what he desired, to spread their legs for him. Why did it have to be me? Why did he target my family?

Of course, though, I didn't tell Adam or Tommy that I was coming to see him. I couldn't afford telling them, because they would probably tell me not to. But this was something that I needed to do. I needed this clarity, and, despite the fact that they were trying to keep me safe and happy, there were questions I needed answered. One in specific that had been haunting me since one of my first few encounters with Brad, before all the abuse began…

I kept my arms at my sides as the cells became more and more spaced apart from one another. Like solitary confinement. Isolation. Bars became doors, and the stone floors and walls were growing colder and colder with ever step. We'd walked down small flights of stairs, so I knew that we were well below the level floor of the palace. This truly was a dungeon; we were beneath everything.

"Almost there," the man gruffed. When I'd gone to him to say I wanted to see Brad, he seemed wary. No doubt informed by Adam of who I was and what I'd gone through. But after I told him it would only be for a moment, he gave in and took me on the excursion down to what had to have been the lowest, darkest, and coldest cell in the entire dungeon. I shivered slightly to myself as I followed him down another small flight of stairs.

Before us was a long, narrow hallway with one door at the end. No other doors lined the walls, this was the only one. The last one. I inhaled slowly as the man guided me down, unlocking the door and pulling it open. He stepped aside and motioned for me to enter. I nodded once, stepping forward when he put a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head, staring into deep, worried green eyes.

"Five minutes. That's it," he muttered. I nodded once. "I'm leaving this door open, though." He added and I nodded again, stepping inside the room.

The funny thing about this cell, and probably for my protection, was that it was one room, divided by a thick glass wall, small holes dotted into its surface about head level. The walls were a dismal, dull and hopeless shade of brown. On my side, there was nothing. Just a small amount of space between the glass wall and the door behind me. On the other side was a small cot with a pillow and a blanket. Brad was lying on the cot, facing towards the wall with his arms curled around his stomach. There was a metal tray with half eaten food and a pitcher of water on the floor.

I glanced to my right, seeing a, yes, glass door embedded into the wall. It was the only way for Brad to get back and forth between the two spaces, but it looked as if it was only accessible from my side. I inhaled slowly again, taking a quiet step forward before reaching the wall. My face was just across the holes, allowing us to speak, but keeping him well away from me all the same. I reached up, knocking on the glass.

Brad shifted, turning his head to look over his shoulder. His eye met mine and he froze before sitting up and turning to face me. I fought the urge to take a step back. He looked like hell, draped in a pair of dirty trousers and a ragged shirt. He was thin, for starts; shadows sunk into his skin beneath his eyes, his lip was swollen. There were bruises on his shoulders, arms and legs. His greasy hair hung around his face and when he tilted his head slightly to the right and grinned at me, I thought I was going to be sick. Even so broken and beaten, he still left me feeling uncomfortable as hell.

"Well, well, well… The little whore decides to come scrambling back after all." He shot to his feet, pressing his body against the glass in a vain attempt to reach me. His lips were pressed to the holes on his side and he whispered, sending chills down my spine, "What changed your mind, Drake? Decided that Our Pharaoh just wasn't cutting it out for you? Decided you _liked_ the way I fucked you after all?"

I took a step back but swallowed my fear, "Never." He threw his head back and laughed as he unglued himself from the glass, "I came here to ask you a few questions," I commented, keeping my voice as strong as possible.

Brad eyed me once, taking a step back and sitting down on the edge of his cot. He kept his head tilted to the side as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. His eyes were searching mine, as if he was trying to pick the questions out of my head without having me tell him a word. He licked his lips, bringing his head up to center before smiling his ever bone-chilling smile.

"Questions? Well, I'm all ears," he sneered, his eyes dancing with a fire that left me feeling cold. I swallowed another lump, looking away for a moment before taking a breath and looking back.

"Yes… To start… Why? Why me?" My voice wasn't nearly as strong as I wanted it to be. It was soft, hurt, curious and yet not wanting to know all the same. My heart was skipping beats in my chest and trying to breathe was becoming a chore. There was just something about his presence that bothered me. I needed to get out, but I wanted answers, first!

But I wasn't sure how much of a good idea this was when Brad began to laugh. It wasn't even light or airy, it wasn't a joke. It was demeaning, degrading and cold. Like he knew things that I couldn't even begin to dream. And that was probably true, but… Fuck… His eyes were alight with ice and fire and when his laughter died from his throat, I found it to still ring in my ears like a ghostly haunting. I shivered and Brad just grinned.

"Why you? Oh, Drake, Drake…" I shivered again. I hated the way he said my name. "Why not you?" He taunted, shaking his head slightly. His grin was still plastered on his face and I wanted to punch him to wipe it off. I hated it. I hated him.

"But that's not a good enough answer is it, Drake?" He inquired, tilting his head to the side again as he stood up, walking to the glass again. "No… You are just so… So much like him… So beautifully irresistible… So _fucking fuckable_ …" Brad groaned, letting his eyes slip shut as he rested his forehead against the glass. He looked like he was lost in ecstasy; probably from the memories of… Oh, Ra… His palms were pressed flat before he curled them, digging the pads of his fingertips in like he was raking his nails down them. Except, upon a closer look, there were no fingernails. They'd been chipped down to the cuticles of his fingers…

My breath was caught in my throat and I took a small step away from Brad, staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. What in Ra was he getting at? Brad's eyes opened and he stared deeply at me, the dark circles under his eyes seeming to make him look old and maniacal. He bit down on his bottom lip for a moment before grinning again, "He's never told you, has he?" He questioned. My heart skipped a beat in my chest and I forced myself to breathe.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, but my strength was lost. I was scared. Brad looked crazy, and I wouldn't have put it passed him to find a way to break through the glass despite the fact that it had to have been several inches thick.

Brad's lips pulled back into a grin, and then a laugh as he stepped away from the glass again. He fell back against the stone wall, his eyes squeezed shut as he laughed like he'd heard the funniest joke in his life. When he opened his eyes, they were crazy with delusional fire. He gasped for breath before walking back to the glass, across from where I stood, frozen in shock and fear. His palms were on the glass and he pressed his forehead against it again.

"Our Pharaoh hasn't told you? Of his first boy?" He inquired and I shook my head, wondering if this was all a good idea or not. He was so frightening… Brad chuckled, sneering at me…

"His first love?" My heart skipped a beat in my chest. I forgot to breathe. "Alexander?" He chuckled again, shaking his head. "Beautiful boy… Luscious brown hair… Striking, deep and bright blue eyes…" My mouth went dry. Brad's grin spread across his lips.

"A poor little farm boy with pale skin and such beauty that he made heads turn… Oh, Alexander…" Brad closed his eyes, smiling to himself. I feared, for a moment, that he'd done something to Alexander, too… "So intelligent. A quick learner… Stole Pharaoh's heart away as easily as it is to steal candy from a baby…"

Brad's eyes opened to stare at me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. He'd just said that Alexander looked exactly like me… That he was me… Or I was him… He grinned again, pressing his lips to the glass gently before speaking, "Alexander was all Pharaoh wanted. All he _needed_ … Until he died. Oh, poor thing fell ill with a fever… It tore Pharaoh apart like ashes crumbling in a breeze…"

Brad's voice was cold, his eyes blank as he spoke. My heart was thrashing in my chest and I still couldn't breathe properly. It was as if his words took the ability to function enough to breathe from me… His chapped lips scraped the glass as he spoke, his words clipped and clear. "For years, all he wanted was someone to replace the boy who took his heart into the Afterlife. Years searching boys while suffering the loss of not only his precious Alexander, but his mother… his brother… his father…" Brad chuckled, low and dark as a sadistic grin stretched his pale lips.

"He found Tommy… But Tommy wasn't enough. Tommy was what he needed to get by, but not what he needed to blanket the cold fire of loss left by Alexander…" Brad blinked once, staring into my soul, "And then you came along.. You… The carbon copy of his dead lover." I gasped, feeling tears spring into my eyes. Brad laughed aloud like a mad man. I felt chills running down my arms, spine and my legs, leaving me feeling numb and cold.

"So perfect, so pure. The _perfect boy_ to heal his broken, aching, loveless heart…" I shook my head, and Brad shouted with laughter. "Deny it all you wish, Drake! It's the honest, naked truth." Brad pressed himself close to the glass and I took a step back, shaking my head and closing my eyes. His voice was so soft yet clear, I swore he was right next to me.

"Think about it, Drake… You're the twin to what he lost… He doesn't see you. He sees the boy that was taken from him! He sees what he wants to see because he can't let go of Alexander!" I opened my eyes, tears streaming down my face as Brad continued to speak…

"Do you remember the library? That statue I fucked you senseless in front of? The peacock in the ring?" He whispered. I gasped again, tears falling relentlessly, "That's for Alexander… Pharaoh made that for him after he died… He talks to. Sings to it. Talks to it as if it's Alexander, himself." I choked on a sob, taking another step away as I shook my head. Brad snarled, pounding his fists into the glass.

"He doesn't love you, Drake… He only loves what he sees from you. He loves the Alexander that you are… He doesn't love you… He'll _never_ love you…" I shook my head again, turning and running out of the cell. No matter how hard I pushed myself, I could still hear Brad laughing at me. Laughing at my heart. His words were spinning around my head in a constant repeat. _He'll never love you_ …

Tears were flying off of my face as I turned corner after corner, up the flights of stairs before pushing out from the dungeons, racing down the halls and away from that cursed place. Even still, I heard his words. Heard his laughter. I saw his eyes and his malevolent smile around every corner.

I pushed passed servants, uncaring as they called after me to be careful or watch out. I just didn't care about any of them. I needed to get away. Far away. Even if that meant running the mile across the palace as fast as possible. I could do. I was doing it. I couldn't stop myself from running down halls and around corners, because, no matter how far I went, it felt like I was still right there in that cell with him…

Fuck, why did I go?! Why did I go to him? Why did I think I would feel any better by talking to him. I felt chilled. Rehaunted by his voice, his laughter and his eyes. Pumping my arms at my sides, I felt the skin of my shoulders and back shifting. It felt like the scars on my back and in my thighs were tearing themselves open, even though I knew that was impossible. They'd healed over. They couldn't… But, fuck, it felt like it.

I choked on a breath, turning a corner and running just a little farther before tripping. I tumbled, my hands and knees scraping against the stone. I stifled a soft scream, panting and wheezing as I pushed myself to my feet and rushed to the first door on my left. I grabbed the handle, pulling it open and I threw myself inside. I slammed the door shut behind me, locking it, before slumping against the wood, tears still streaming.

My chest heaved and caved with breath and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to fight the images of Brad's laughing face, trying to fight my imagination painting Alexander behind my eyelids. I only painted myself, looking a little older, a little more mature, a little more… More than me… I choked, opening my eyes and staring wildly around. Books… Shelves…

The library…

 _Do you remember the library? That statue…_

My eyes widened and my heart slammed to a stop in my chest. Cold, icy chains wrapped around it before heating like fire, burning it. Every breath made me want to scream and cry, but I didn't. Every breath made me hate. Every beat of my aching heart made me loathe a person I'd never met and would never know. My hands curled into fists at my sides and all I saw was red as I lunged to the book shelf on my right, tearing fiction and nonfiction off of the shelves, sending them down to the floor.

I wanted to destroy. I wanted to vent my hate on this place because Alexander was here. I wanted to destroy everything because I hated… I'd never hated so passionately before, but if this was what it felt like, then I wanted more. I wanted this feeling of power and indestructible rage. I growled, throwing books down and shredding documents, knocking over smaller cases of shelves. I raced down the aisle, smashing glass objects and throwing artifacts across the room.

I screamed in frustration. It wasn't enough to destroy petting, small things. I wanted to burn this place down. I wanted to set fire to all the things that Alexander had ever touched. My mind blocked out the fact that, amongst those things was Adam. I didn't want to think about him. All I could hear were Brad's words and all I could see was Alexander's face and how much I wanted to tear it apart.

I tore books down, sending them flying, smashing into other things. I became this whirlwind of hate and destruction until I found myself spinning and crashing into something large and heavy. I lifted my head, seeing the sunlight of the afternoon pouring through a window and illuminating the ring. The feathers of the peacock. I turned, breathing heavily and walking around to the front, seeing the light reflecting into those _striking, deep and bright blue eyes_.

I snarled up at the statue. My heart was pounding in my chest and I envisioned Alexander standing in front of me with a coy smile and taunting eyes. I panted heavily, my lips running dry and my tongue heavy with hateful words.

"You… You ruined everything… You stood by and watched as that monster raped me… You stood by and watched as I fell apart… And you won't let him go… He still only sees you! _He only sees you when he should see me!_ " I screamed, uncaring that I was talking to an inanimate object that could and would never talk back to me. It just stood there, silent and stiff. Cold.

"I love him… _I_ love him… _I'm_ alive!" I growled, taking a step back, my hands twitching at my sides. I was shaking head to toe with anger and sadness and the need to destroy was stronger than ever. Tears were brimming in my eyes again and I choked on a scream. " _I love him!_ " I shouted to the statue, bumping into a table of sorts. I turned my head, seeing what looked to be a heavy, blunt object. I panted, taking it in my hands. It was a long, thick pole with hieroglyphics etched into it. It felt like metal. Metal versus stone? You tell me who wins this battle…

I turned my head back to the statue, new found rage fueling my veins, "I love him… It's time for you to let go of him…" I hissed, rushing forward. I swung the pole like a bat, hitting the curve of the stone ring as hard as I could. There was a loud, deafening crack as chunks splintered away from the stone. I breathed hard, watching pieces falling away and hitting the carpet, splattering out like it was blood. Like I'd actually wounded Alexander…

I snarled, growling low and swinging again, this time connected with the peacock. Feathers and part of the rib cage of the bird shattered away from the stone, exposing pearly white beneath the paint. Tears cascaded down my cheeks and I swung the pole over and over, smashing more and more of the peacock as hard as I could. Pieces of rubble flew, cutting lightly into my face and my arms. But still, I continued smashing.

The statue began to crumble the more I hit it. The more pieces that fell, the weaker it became. Like stabbing flesh. The more you cut, the more it bled. The more it bled, the quicker it died. I swung the pole once more, hitting the bird with the last of my strength. The statue crumbled before me, tumbling into a pile of dust, rubble and paint. I inhaled slowly, dropping the pole that I'd used as I stared at the work of art that was now nothing more than a forgotten memory…

But… Somehow… It just left me feeling hollow… Defeated and empty even after feeling so high and fueled with power. Staring at the shattered statue made me feel like a fool. The tears were dry and the strength and rage of my voice was gone. I felt void of everything. Staring at the statue made me realize that I'd been wrong. It was not Alexander's memory or his soul that I was destroying.

It was my own.

"Drake?!" I lifted my head slowly, seeing his blue eyes, dark with confusion and grief. I expected anger. I wanted anger. I just destroyed his first love… Shouldn't he have been angry? Why wasn't he?

"How did you know I was here?" I asked, my voice dead to my own ears. It was the first thing out of my lips. Like it was automatic. I wasn't in control anymore. I'd put myself on autopilot because I just… I had no will..

"Servants told me you came running in a blind rage here…" Adam said, stepping forward. His eyes wavered back and forth between mine and the pile of rubble that divided us. He seemed to be at a loss for words for the longest time, but when he looked back up at me, he only uttered one soft word, "Why?"

I blinked, feeling the hurt of betrayal and rage washing into my heart again. I inhaled slowly, forcing the tears back, "Why?" I questioned, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Because… You kept him from me… You've… You've been using me. Using me to hold onto _him!_ " I shouted, pointing at the pile of nothing between us. Adam flinched, his eyes snapping up to meet mine.

"Drake—" he began to say, but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear any of it. Not anymore..

" _NO!_ " I screamed at him, tears welling in my eyes again, " _Just don't even, Adam!_ It's obvious that I'm _nothing_ but a cover up for you! I'm _nothing_ but the _perfect replica_." I screamed, gasping for air. Adam blinked once, tears forming in his eyes and spilling over his cheeks. For some reason, that was too much for me. I choked on air, pushing off from the floor and taking off down an aisle of books, turning the corner and running through the maze as fast as possible. Adam called after me, but I weaved in and out of smashed objects and empty shelves before reaching the doors of the library.

"Drake!" Adam shouted as I slipped out, sprinting down the hall. My lungs were threatening to collapse, my heart wanting to die. The memory of the stings of tattoos was burning in my mind and my hips were throbbing. _Lover_ … _Lover_ …

Bullshit. All of it… Did Alexander have _lover_ tattooed on his hips, too? I choked on a breath, turning a corner and slipping down a dark, quiet hallway, away from the library. I was closer to mine and Tommy's room, actually. So close.. I panted, leaning against the wall as I cried. I tried holding onto the wall as support, but I just couldn't do it. I fell to my knees, face in my hands as I bawled. I felt pathetic, but I couldn't control it… I couldn't…

He was a liar… _You said you loved me, Adam… You're a liar…_ _You never, ever did…_


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Take, Take, Take It All, But You Never Give  
Adam's POV**

After an incredibly dull meeting with Cassidy, all I wanted to do was go to Drake and spend a nice evening and night with him. I wanted to hold him in my arms and just cuddle, kiss a little. Maybe even tease him into an orgasm. I didn't have the desire to fuck him, however. It just wasn't one of those nights. I wanted to show him we could be intimate without _always_ being horny.

But I couldn't find him.

I went to the room he shared with Tommy and Tommy told me he hadn't seen him since lunch. That had been almost seven hours ago. I frowned, wondering where Drake could have possibly wandered off to for so long. Perhaps he had gone to the market for more paints? Or he was just hiding to get some time to himself. Wherever he went, I wanted to find him. I had an incredible need to hold my baby and just be with him. I could not do that if he was nowhere to be found.

I left his and Tommy's room in search of him. I was sure he was around here somewhere, it was just a matter of where. Where would Drake go if he wanted to be alone? Not the library, that was for sure. That's where Drake had… been raped by _him_. He wouldn't go there if he didn't have to. He usually went to his room to get away from everything. He wasn't in the bathroom. I knew that much just from the fact that the bathroom door was open and the lights were out. So where could he have been?

Sighing, I began walking through the halls, giving pleasant smiles to those who passed. Most were servants, trying to finish their chores for the day so they could settle down for the evening. A few of them seemed to be a little annoyed and I wondered why. Had something occurred today? Surely, if something bad had happened, I would have known about it. Who could have done something to upset so many people?

Turning the corner, I found a towel boy. If I remembered correctly, he was the second youngest person who worked in the palace for me. He was nineteen and, like Drake, was very skinny. He was shorter than Drake with uneven red hair and a boyish face. He dressed modestly, with regular brown sandals and his hair pushed back behind his ears. He was on his knees, collecting towels off of the floor.

"Is everything alright here?" I asked, walking up to the boy. He seemed restless and displeased. He looked up at me with pale Jade eyes.

"Nothing My Pharaoh…" he whispered, seeming to choose his words very carefully before speaking them. "Someone… came running through the halls and he was bumping into a lot of people." Explains why some of them looked so displeased. "He bumped into me and I dropped all of these clean towels… I was just trying to gather them back up. Everything is fine…"

I blinked once, trying to understand why someone would be in such a rush to get wherever. The only image I saw was Drake, running away from the dining hall and back towards his room, right before he found Anna in his room… My mind painted the image because he was the only person I've even seen zoom through the palace like that. Of course I was jumping to conclusions but if it was Drake… why was he running?

"Who was it, do you know?" I asked him, kneeling down on the stop beside him to help him gather the towels up. He seemed shocked but I just smiled at him, shaking my head as if to tell him not to worry about it.

"It was… um a really pretty boy. I didn't get a real good look at his face because he was flying but he was dressed in some pretty nice clothing and a few pieces of jewelry. Skinny and kind of tall-ish," the boy explained. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he looked back up at me. "I think it was your love, My Pharaoh. The brunette, Drake…" he whispered. I just nodded, frowning to myself as we finished gathering up the small sea of towels. "Thank you, My Pharaoh," he said softly, bowing his head in respect.

I ruffled his hair, smiling at him. "Do you, by chance, have any idea where Drake was heading?" I asked him as we pushed ourselves up to our feet, he with a pile of towels clasped in his arms.

"Not sure, but he looked like he might have been heading towards the library, or something…" the boy said. I offered my thanks before leaving him to tend to towels that needed to be taken back to the laundry room. I made sure to tell him not to worry about rewashing them tonight. The towels could wait until morning. I was sure the boy had better things to do with his evening than clean towels.

Once I turned the corner to the hall leading to the library, I broke out into a sprint. The corridor was a long one and I didn't want to waist time walking it. I wanted to see Drake… I needed to find out why he was acting so strange but when I reached the library and tried to open the doors, I found it locked. I also heard quite a commotion behind the door.

Biting my lip, I dropped to my knees again, searching along the crook where the floor and the wall of the corridor met. When Alexander first died, Cassidy hid a key around here because he was afraid that I might do something drastic if I locked myself in with Alexander's statue. He was worried my depression would consume me and that I would do something that I, as well as all of Egypt, regretted.

To my relief, the key was still hidden in a small crack between the floor and the wall. I used it to unlock the door before hiding it back in it's original stop. You just never knew when you might need a spare key and I thought it best to leave it there, just in case.

What greeted me when I walked into the library was chaos. Book shelves where emptied of their books. Smaller shelves had been overturned and uprooted. Books littered the floor, some open and many mangled. Tables had been flipped over and small artifacts and art pieces had been chucked against walls, pieces laying around the edge of the wall to show where they had showered down. Destruction reigned down around me but I was only seeing the aftermath of what had already happened and it frightened me. What in the world had happened to Drake to make him do this? Unless someone else was running like a mad man through the palace to get here…

Then I heard it. A loud hammering sound, as if someone was beating a stone wall with a club of sorts. My heart began to thrash in my chest as I moved towards the center of the library, carefully stepping around books and overturned shelves. I was also careful to avoid any broken pieces of glass or stone. Wouldn't want to cut myself on anything in here.

I stopped at the edge of a makeshift circle that used to surround Alexander's statue. What I saw shocked me and seeing Drake the way he was didn't anger me for some reason I could not explain. The sight scared me and I bit my lip hard, watching as Drake repeatedly swung a metal pole into what was once a beautiful statue. Now it crumbled down around him, raining into little pieces that were slicing into Drake's pale skin. The teenager didn't seem to notice he was hurting himself. He was driven to destroy but why?

I should have been angry. He was destroying Alexander right in front of me, but I wasn't. I felt my heart icing over in grief and confusion, but anger wasn't anywhere to be found within me. The desire to cut in and stop Drake from completely destroying the statue also did not exist. Ra only knew what he would do to someone if this need for destruction didn't burn out of his system before he was confronted by someone. The last thing I wanted was for Drake to turn on me with that rod…

So I watched, feeling helpless as the statue crumbled into nothing at Drake's feet. He dropped the rod, backing away from the rubble with wide, sad eyes. Apparently destroying the statue didn't help him feel any better for whatever reason he was trying to destroy it in the first place.

His eyes were clouded over but when he lifted his head and saw me, I spoke. "Drake?" I asked, though I realized my tone sounded a lot more startled than it should have, as if I had just walked in on him destroying the library. His eyes were wide but he didn't look scared. He looked more conflicted and hurt than anything. Ra, what had happened to him?

"How did you know I was here?" he asked, frowning at me. His arms dropped to his sides and he stood in place as I moved closer, only the rubble keeping us apart now.

"Servant told me you came running by in a blind rage here…" I whispered, staring him in the eye. His didn't falter, but he looked miserable, defeated. It's how I was feeling now as well. Seeing Alexander in a pile of stone like this, at the hands of the boy I had fallen in love with, saddened me greatly. I wanted to be angry, but in the back of my mind, I knew I could not blame Drake for his actions. Obviously he had found out what the statue represented somehow and… it was my fault for not telling him about Alexander in the first place.

But how had he found out about Alexander? Did Tommy spill? Or some servant who didn't know Drake had no idea who Alexander was?

"Why?" I whispered.

He seemed enraged by that question. I supposed I should have expected nothing less. "Why?" he cried, his eyes filling with tears. It hurt just to look at him and I felt my heart cracking in my chest. This boy's heart was hurting and that, mixed with the fact that he had just demolished something precious to me, was making my heart split down the middle. "Because… You kept him from me… You've… You've been using me. Using me to hold onto _him_!" he cried, his anger flaring as he pointed to the rubble that lay between us.

My eyes widened as I stared at him. He was trembling, from anger or from sobs, I wasn't entirely sure, but I had to explain. I had to do something to make this right. I hadn't done myself any favors by not telling Drake about Alexander and now I was beginning to pay for that decision. "Drake-" I began but he never gave me the hope of defending myself or giving him an explanation.

" _NO!_ " he shouted at me, shaking his head. " _Just don't even, Adam!_ It's obvious that I'm _nothing_ but a cover up for you. I'm _nothing_ but the _perfect replica_!" he screamed, tears streaming his face. I was at a loss for words for a moment. Only my tears were answering him. Everything I had built with Drake had crumbled at my feet, quite literally, all because I didn't have the courage to tell him the truth about Alexander. I was afraid that he would react like this if he knew about my first love and because I hadn't told him but he found out, it appeared to him that what he said was true.

I was losing a second love and I couldn't handle it. My heart was ripping apart at the seams as tears streamed my cheeks. Drake stared at me for a moment before he turned on his heels, shoving through the destruction that was the library. I stared after him, calling out for him but he wouldn't stop. I moved to follow him, calling out to him again. "Drake!" I cried, willing him to come back so I could talk to him. I had to make this right. I couldn't lose him too. My heart could only take so much before it just decided not to work at all… "Drake!" I called again but I couldn't see him.

I walked out of the library, looking around for him but I couldn't see any trace of him. He was long gone and I wasn't entirely sure where he might have gone. Where did someone go when they felt the person they loved most in the world was only using them? "Ra, Drake… please…" I whispered to myself, knowing very well that no one could hear it but me. That didn't stop me from praying that Drake would magically turn up next to me, giving me a chance to explain myself.

Dragging my hand through my hair, I walked back into the library for a moment. Before I went rushing off to Drake, high off of emotions, I had to calm down and think about what I was going to say to him. How could I explain Alexander to Drake in a way that would make him see that they were not the same and that I was not using him to hold onto my first love. How could I make Drake see how much I loved him when I knew his heart was crumbling in his chest, just as Alexander's statue had crumbled?

Very simply, I wasn't sure what to tell Drake, but as I stared across the library, looking at the broken statue laying pathetically in the center of the room, I realized that I didn't have time to waste. Looking at that rubble didn't make me see Alexander, but Drake. I saw the image of a _beautiful, chocolate haired boy on his knees, his face in his hands as tears streamed down his face. He was young and many people, including Tommy and Cassidy, knelt down next to him, trying to sooth his shaking frame._

 _The boy was heartbroken, it was very easy to see it. No one could calm him to help him. Every time somebody tried, his crying and trembling only intensified and he began pushing them away, some quite violently. He was in heartache and he couldn't handle it. He shouldn't have had to handle heartache. He was too precious…_

I had done that to him.

If I was just honest with him from the beginning. If I hadn't hidden one extremely important detail of my life from him, this could have been avoided. I _needed_ to fix what I had broken, not just for myself but for Drake. That boy had completely given himself and me and I feared for the worst. If he thought I didn't love him but I was every to him, would he seek out the most drastic measures?

I wasn't going to give him the time to do _that_ to himself. I had to find him, and I sprinted out of the library, leaving the door wide open. At that moment, I simply didn't care. The only thing that mattered was getting to Drake and making everything right. I needed to show him how much I loved him. I needed him to know that he was not a cover up for Alexander. Honestly, I wanted to know how he found out about Alexander in the first place, but that simply wasn't important right now. What was important was getting to Drake and making him realize how much I loved him.

 _How much I needed him._

Sprinting all the way to Drake's room left me winded, but when I knocked on the door, nobody answered. After a minute, I knocked again but there was still no answer. I groaned in frustration and I pushed the door open roughly. No one was inside but I noticed one thing immediately. A painting pressed up against the side of Tommy's bed. It was a beautiful peacock with rich green and blue feathers. Tints and shades went into infinite numbers but they all worked. It was a beautiful depiction of the majestic bird and I slowly walked over to it, taking the canvas into my hands to marvel at it. Drake had signed the bottom right hand corner and new tears started pouring down my cheeks. Had he painted this for me? Surely he did. Who else would it have been for?

My frame was shaking with sobs and it wasn't until the canvas started shaking violently in my grasp that a piece of paper fell off of the back. It had probably been tucked into the wood frame. I bent down, expecting it to be a note, but what I found was more of a poem. It was in neat cursive, Drake's beautiful and artist handwriting. I could tell because it looked exactly like his signature.

As I read the poem, I cried even harder. Every single word was shredding one piece of my heart off and throwing it into the infernos of the underworld. Every word was like a knife through my chest and yet I read it over and over again, like I was hypnotized by it.

 _Gave you all I have and you tossed it in the trash, you did. To give me all your love is all I ever asked, 'cause what you don't understand is I'd catch a grenade for you. Throw my hand on a blade for you. I'd jump in front of a train for you. You know I'd do anything for you. I would go through all this pain, take a bullet straight through my brain. Yes I would die for you, baby, but you won't do the same…_

As my heart broke, I realized I was reading Drake's already broken heart on this page. He truly felt like I wouldn't be there for him. That I never had been, but what hurt the most? _You said you love me, you're a liar, because you never, ever did baby…_ I choked, my own tears tasted on my tongue. _But darling I'd still catch a grenade for you…_

Fuck, what had I done to this boy?

"Adam?" My heart swelled slightly in hopes of being Drake, but when I turned, it was only Tommy. He looked startled at me. Probably because he didn't expect me to be bawling my eyes out in his bedroom. "What on earth is the matter?" he asked, rushing to my side.

"Drake… he found out about Alexander…" I whispered, deciding to skip over the part about Drake destroying the library for now. That didn't matter in the slightest. I shoved the paper into Tommy's hands, now stained with my tears as well as some Drake had left. Tommy read the page, his eyes widening. "Where is he, Tommy?" I asked. "Please tell me you know where he is!" I was begging at this point. I wasn't too proud. In fact, I wasn't proud at all.

Tommy shook his head, his eyes widening in fear. "I have no idea where he is… I haven't seen him at all today but we need to find him…"


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty-Eight: You're not the only one refusing to back down**

 **Tommy's POV**

I'd never seen Pharaoh so broken.

I'd seen him angry. I'd seen him cry. I'd seen him completely lose his mind with rage and ecstasy. I'd seen him in just about every emotion, every state of mind he's ever been in. Some phased me more than others, but, in truth, it all depended on the context of what had happened to put him in that state. But when I pushed open mine and Drake's room and saw him shaking with tears as he stared down at a piece of paper, my heart began to break.

"Adam?" My voice was no stronger than a whisper. He looked over at me, looking like hell in a handbasket. His hair was disheveled around his face, his eyes and cheeks were red and wet with tears. He was shaking and whimpering like a lost, kicked puppy. I gasped softly, rushing over to him to try to comfort him as best as I could. "What on Earth is the matter?"

Something, though, in the way he was crying and holding a note in his hands told me that I already knew the answer. Drake. Something had happened between them, and, as my heart clenched and unclenched in my chest, I could only think that that "something" was Alexander. Had Drake found out about Pharaoh's previous lover? And, if so, from who? I certainly hadn't told him, and, as much as I hated to think it, I doubted Pharaoh told him.

"Drake… He found out about Alexander…" Pharaoh whispered, still shaking with tears. So, my suspicion had been correct after all. But how?

Pharaoh sniffed, shoving the paper into my hands. It was stained with tears, fresh and ones that had already dried. Drake's? I frowned at him before reading the words… It was a poem, obviously in Drake's handwriting. From his heart. I couldn't breathe as my eyes scanned back and forth across the words, one line sticking out and stabbing deep with an icy blade into my chest; _you said you loved me, you're a liar 'cause you never, ever did, baby…_

Pharaoh's hands gripped my arms as he shook me, begging— _pleading_ — me, "Where is he, Tommy? _Please_ , tell me you know where he is!" I stared up at him for a long moment, unable to speak. Unable to breathe. I'd never seen him so utterly desperate over someone before. I probably would've said differently had I known him like this when Alexander was still alive, but I didn't then. And all I could do now was shake my head slightly, my eyes wide with fear.

"I have no idea where he is… I haven't seen him at all today, but we need to find him…" My voice trailed off. The hope in Pharaoh's eyes vanished and he trembled, dropping his head onto my shoulder. I set the poem down onto my bed, wrapping my arms around him as tightly as I could without hurting him. He wouldn't stop crying, wouldn't stop shaking.

How did Drake find out, though? And… What had happened when he found out? Did he and Pharaoh talk at all? Or did he just find out, write this poem, and leave? But that couldn't have been the case. Pharaoh wasn't dumb in the slightest, but I doubted he would've been crying so hard if he hadn't seen Drake prior to finding the poem… I sighed softly, running my fingers through Pharaoh's hair as soothingly as I could.

Like Drake's, it'd gotten longer. It barely passed his shoulders, hanging in shaggy, soft waves around his face. I tried to calm him down; I rubbed his back, his shoulders, ran my fingers through his hair. I did everything I could think of, but Pharaoh kept crying into my shoulder. Seeing him so upset was breaking my heart. Knowing that Drake had disappeared was even worse though. Drake may've belonged to Pharaoh, may've been his lover, but I loved him, too.

"Adam… Adam, please… We'll find him. We'll find him…" I whispered into his ear. His sobs began to calm into soft whimpers and sniffs before finally he pulled out of my arms, wiping his tears away. He still looked like hell, but, at least, now he was calming down a little. I reached up, palming his face in my hands gently, rubbing circles into his cheeks gently.

Pharaoh leaned into my touch, bringing his hand up to cover one of mine. He looked heartbroken, but at least he wasn't crying. I hated seeing him cry. He breathed slowly, pulling my hand away from his face before he turned, heading for the door. I followed him quickly, keeping at his side the whole time. I didn't know where he was going, but I knew I needed to stay with him at all costs.

"We're going to see Cassidy. I'm going to tell him what's happened. I'll raise a search for the whole palace." Pharaoh said to me in a hushed tone as we passed several servants. They looked at us, warily, probably because of our walking pace and the fact that Pharaoh had, obviously, been crying. Despite his appearance, I was proud of him. His voice was calm, steady. He was probably trying to hold back more tears, though.

"What if he's not here, Adam?" I was afraid to say the words, but I had to mention the prospect that, maybe, Drake wasn't in the palace anymore. Pharaoh's step faltered and he slowed for only the briefest of paces before picking it back up. He actually began to walk a little faster. But I could see it in his face that he hated the idea that Drake wasn't here. I could see it in his eyes…

"I-if he's not, I'll put Cassidy in charge. We'll go out and find him ourselves." Pharaoh's tone was strong, but his voice was quivering slightly. I glanced up at him, seeing the shine of tears in his eyes as we turned a corner, walking down a long, wide corridor towards Cassidy's room. I bit down on my lip, regretting voicing my thoughts. But I had to be honest with him. As much as I didn't want to believe that Drake could've run away, it was all together possible…

The rest of the walk was silent up to the point of Pharaoh knocking on Cassidy's door. My heart was pounding in my chest as I thought about everything that had happened… Drake had found out about Alexander and, potentially, run away… What if we never found him? What if he did something drastic because he believed that Pharaoh didn't care about him like he always thought? I shuddered at the idea of Drake doing something to himself, but… It was there, pressing into my mind…

Cassidy's door opened, and the adviser stood there, at first looking calm, but when he saw Pharaoh's face, that calm turned to bewilderment and concern. He stepped out of his room, reaching up and touching Pharaoh's face tenderly. As if brushing his fingers against the King's skin was enough to see into his thoughts and know.

"Adam?" He whispered delicately, staring wide eyed at Pharaoh. His shoulders trembled and he bowed his head slightly before speaking.

"Drake' gone. We don't know where he's at…" Cassidy's eyes widened and he looked over Pharaoh's shoulder to look at me. I nodded once, keeping silent. His arms went around Pharaoh's shoulders and he pulled the taller man close to him, comforting him gently.

"Have you searched the palace?" He asked, his voice gentle, calm and, even, reassuring. Unfortunately, I shook my head, and Cassidy glanced in my direction with a concerned frown on his face.

"He wanted to come to you first. We were going to, though…" I told him. Cassidy nodded once, pulling away from Pharaoh enough to look him in the eye, but staying close enough to hold onto him.

"We're going to find him, Adam… We will… It's going to be alright," Cassidy whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Pharaoh's lips. It wasn't romantic or anything. It was a gesture of kindness and comfort. Pharaoh whimpered softly, pulling away and glancing over his shoulder at me. I rubbed his back, leaning forward and kissing his cheek softly.

The next hour was spent with guards and servants running around, checking every room, every hall. Checking the gardens, the dungeons (though I doubted Drake would even think of going near there since Brad was there). Everywhere they looked, coming back to report to Pharaoh and Cassidy that, despite their efforts, Drake was nowhere to be found inside the palace or on the grounds.

While they searched, Pharaoh admitted that he'd found Drake tearing the library apart, smashing Alexander's statue in a great fit of rage. He told us that he tried talking to Drake, tried explaining to him, but that Drake told him he didn't want to hear any of it. He said Drake ran, and that was the last he saw of him before finding the poem and the painting.

Cassidy frowned at the mention of the poem, and Pharaoh recited the words that Drake had scrawled onto the paper, reducing the King to trembling, soft sobs. I held onto him, refusing to let go until he stopped crying. But, it seemed, with ever guard and servant that shook their heads sadly, he only cried harder and harder. I thanked those that came to us bearing the news, and I told them to look when they could, just in case. I may've only been a pleasure servant, but I was close to Pharaoh, and in a case like this, I had authority over them.

When the last few guards and servants came up, bearing the news that Drake wasn't in the palace, Pharaoh merely dropped his head, dismissing them quietly. I bit down on my lip, forcing back tears as I looked over to Pharaoh. He was trembling gently, whimpering with newfound tears. I glanced to Cassidy, seeing the adviser wearing a mask of empathy. I sighed softly, reaching over to Pharaoh and running my fingers through his hair, gently pulling his head up so I could look him in the eye.

"We're going to find him, Adam. Believe me, please." I begged gently. Pharaoh only shook, tears spilling down his face as he looked away from me. He shook his head, forcing my hand away as he leaned against the wall of Cassidy's room. After calling the search, we'd moved in here to keep out of the way of those rushing back and forth. Pharaoh slid down, sitting with his knees propped up and his arms resting on them. He bent his head forward to rest it on his arms.

"Adam?" I mumbled and he just whimpered again.

"What have I done, Tommy?" He muttered quietly. I could barely hear him. I knelt down in front of him, running my fingers through his hair again as Cassidy left the room to go talk with another guard, or something.

"You made a mistake, Adam. It's only human—" I tried to console him, but my words only made him shake more. He lifted his head, tear filled eyes staring into my soul as he whispered.

"He's _gone_ , Tommy… What if he doesn't come back? What if we can't find him? He left here believing I don't love him. Believing that I've been using him to hold onto Alexander…" I bit down on my lip, swallowing my comments of how that used to be how he saw Drake. Pharaoh closed his eyes, more tears falling as he shook his head, "I've made a terrible mistake in not telling him. And now… Now I may never get the chance…"

My throat clenched shut for a moment and my heart throbbed in my chest. I hated seeing him so broken and defeated, but… He brought this upon himself. He didn't tell Drake the statue's meaning. He didn't tell Drake that his dead lover was a lot like him. I kept running my fingers through Pharaoh's hair, trying in vain to calm him down. But… I was so sick of him feeling sorry for himself when all he had to do was act…

I ripped my hand from his hair, causing him to look up at me for a moment. I stood to my feet, towering over Pharaoh with my hands on my hips, "Get up, Adam." I hissed at him. He frowned, his eyes wide and still filling and emptying with tears. But he didn't move.

I bent down, curling my fingers around Pharaoh's wrist and pulling him as hard as I could to his feet. He yelped as I tugged on his wrist, but he stood, falling back and leaning against the wall as I got up in his face. I may've only been a pleasure servant, but when the time called, I was not afraid to fight back and get into the Pharaoh of all Egypt's face like this.

"Stop feeling so fucking sorry, Adam. What happened has happened, and, right now, we've got a young boy wandering through the city. If you love him so damn much, stop crying and pack yourself some food and water and go _look for him_!" I shouted. Pharaoh's eyes wavered back and forth between mine, but he looked to shocked to speak.

"I know, Adam, I know you care about him. I _know_ you don't see Alexander in him. I can see it in your eyes. But right now? Right now you look pathetic! Get up off your ass and start thinking about what you're going to say to him when you find him. Start thinking about the apology you're going to have to make, and for fuck's sake, if you do this to him again, I will not hesitate to maim you, and that _is_ , in fact, a _threat_ , Adam!" My heart was racing in my chest and I really just wanted to beat him, but I didn't. Sure, he'd been really stupid, but, more often than not, he was a smart man. He knew how to make decisions. Just not when it came to love.

"He's right, Adam," Cassidy muttered, standing in the doorway of his room. "Find him. Don't wait for him to come back." Pharaoh looked over to the adviser, staring him down for a moment before looking back to me. I was still glaring up at him, but at least I was beginning to calm down. I really had no place to strike Pharaoh, but, Ra, I wanted to…

"B-but, what if—" he began to say. Sure. I had no place. But that didn't mean it was going to stop me. Now, was I going to hit him? No. But I would make my point with something else.

I reached up, my hand curling around his jaw, my fingers digging into the skin of his face as I brought his attention forward, staring him dead in the eyes, "No _but's_ , Adam. Either you come with me to find him, or I'm going _alone_. And, I promise you, if I find him and you're _not_ with me, he's _really_ going to think you don't give a shit for him. And I know you, Adam, you're not like that. And you're not one to let go so easily," I hissed, letting go of his face and gently pushing him back. He stumbled into the wall, staring at me with wide eyes for the longest moment before closing them.

I thought he was going to stay like that. I thought he was going to remain a silent, crying, pathetic excuse for a King. But he didn't. His eyes snapped open and they were filled with a kind of determined fire that forced a smile to stretch across my lips.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go."


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter Forty-Nine: I Just Believe In the Enemy…  
Drake's POV**

I wanted to go home.

Where home was, I wasn't entirely sure. For the past three to four months, my home had been the palace. More specifically, it had been with Pharaoh as his lover, but clearly that wasn't the case anymore. I wasn't his lover, I was a copy of his original lover. Alexander, the boy that Adam was really in love with. I was just a skin for Adam to put Alexander's ghost into. A shell for a man who was dead…

So that left me with going back to my family. My mother and my little siblings. That was my second home, but I had no idea how to get there from the palace. The day Adam's guards had taken me from them, the route to the palace was so confusing, I couldn't remember it even if I tried. And since I was brought to the palace, the furthest I had been from it was the bizarre, which was less than a half mile away. I didn't know my way around the city at all. I would probably get myself hopelessly lost if I tried to go back to my family.

Not to mention, Adam had a couple of guards staying with them to make sure they were safe. Ever since Anna died, they had been protecting my family until we found who murdered my little girl…If they found out I had run away, they would contact Adam immediately and I would have no hopes of getting away from him…

Part of me didn't want to be away from him. _I loved him._ But, at the same time, I realized that he did not love me the way he claimed to. If I remained at the palace with him, he would slowly strip me of everything that made me Drake and he would mold me into everything Alexander had been. He didn't see me, even though he should have. He would never see me. Perhaps Brad had been right all along. I only wished Brad would have told me sooner…

 _What the fuck are you saying, Drake?! Are you even listening to yourself?! That's pathetic and you know it!_ Maybe Brad wasn't right at all… Maybe he had made everything up or he exaggerated it greatly. Was I a fool to listen to him in the first place? Probably. Then should I go back to the palace? I wanted to, but I didn't. I kept walking away from the massive building, glancing back at it every now and again. Before I had gotten too far away, I could see dozens of people rushing back and forth between all of the windows. I wondered what was going on. Perhaps Adam had already discovered I was gone and he had people out looking for me. If that was the case, I had to keep moving before they started looking outside of the palace.

I couldn't go back… Not to a place that held nothing for me. There was no love in that place. Not for me. It only held the ghost of Alexander's memory. That was all Adam would ever care about…

My hips burned as I walked through the market place. It was deserted due to the lateness of the hour. No merchants sat in their little stands trying to sell to anyone who walked by, nor where there any customers to be seen. There was absolutely no one. That was good news for me, actually. No one would be able to see me from the palace thanks to the cover of all the stands, and no one would be able to recognize me out here. All I had to do was get a decent distant away from the palace before people came out to look for me.

If they came out to look for me.

Tears stung my eyes and with every step I took, my heart cracked a little more. I painted a moving picture behind my eyelids. Alexander's statue reigning down around me but the statue was slowly turning a crimson color, morphing its way from a peacock, to my heart. Just as that statue had crumbled, my heart was crumbling. Every step away from the palace hurt, but the one time I turned around to go back, ever step towards the palace, and towards Adam, hurt ten fold.

By the time I reached the back side of the abandoned market place, I could hardly even see in front of me. It was extremely dark, yes, but I couldn't see because of the tears blurring everything in my line of sight. I wanted to stop sobbing and be strong, but I couldn't. Adam had ripped my heart out of my chest and given it to Alexander, as if that would bring the dead beauty back to life, killing me in the vain process.

I wanted to scream and shout instead of cry, but I couldn't even bring myself to do that. I was too afraid of drawing attention to myself. I couldn't go back… I just couldn't live with a man who didn't love me after he swore up and down that he did. I gave him _everything_ and he just threw it away like it meant nothing. Maybe I was just a poor farm boy but I had feelings! My heart did matter… And just because he was the Pharaoh of all Egypt did _not_ give him the right to place some sick, fucked up game with people's emotions. He was supposed to be the good guy, not another Brad!

 _That was a little bit on the harsh side, don't you think, Drake?_ No, I don't think so… He might even be worse than Brad, in his own way. At least Bradley didn't make people believe that they were the most important thing in the world just to show them that what they really loved about you was the face of a dead person. Brad showed his true colors from the beginning. Adam? Adam lied and hid them until someone else exposed him…

The Egyptian heat was starting to die, and very quickly, just like my heart. Chills washed over me in the inky blackness of the night. I was shivering, wishing for some clothing that covered up more than what I was wearing. As a pleasure servants, most of my clothing consisted of shorts, and not just any shorts, but shorts that only covered about half of my thighs, and I was freezing. Egypt may have been blistering hot in the day time, with temperatures of one-hundred thirty degrees, but at night, it was bitterly cold without some sort of shelter.

I would need to find a place to stay for the night and, if possible, find some clothing that would hide more of my body. Not just for warmth at night, but for cover during the day so it wouldn't be so easy for people to recognize me. I had a little but of money stashed in my bag left over from several shopping trips, but it wouldn't be enough to pay for somewhere to stay, clothing and food. I had to be smart about what I used the money on and I had to barter for the rest of the things I needed.

Tonight, a room was definitely in order, however. I was too scarcely clad to be walking around in such cold weather. I would get sick in no time if I tried to stay out all night. In the morning, I could find some sort of clothing and then a place to stay at night would not be nearly the necessity it was tonight.

I glanced back at the palace, realizing that it was extremely hard to make out now. I wondered just how long I had been walking, lost in my own thoughts and my own grief. I had to be at least three miles away, if not more than that. I was in the richer parts of the city, I realized. This was the area that aristocrats lived and tourists came to visit. There were many hotels throughout this part of the city because it was such a big money pool, considering all the people that came to visit Egypt. This was the nicer part of the city but in easy distance of the pyramids and the bizarre.

There was absolutely no way I had enough money to stay in one of these hotels, but I knew I needed to find somewhere to sleep tonight. It was too cold for me to be out in such a skimpy amount of clothing. I clenched my bag tightly to my chest as I walked to the closest hotel, entering the lobby. What I was about to do did not please me in the least, but I didn't really see any other option for myself. I needed to stay warm tonight so I didn't drop from fever…

Though part of me wished to die… _No Drake, do not start thinking like that…_

The lobby of the hotel was made from the same stones used throughout the palace. There were many hieroglyphs painted onto the surface of the walls. Some of them were talking about hospitality, I realized, but I didn't stare at them for too long. I was just wasting time.

"Is there something I can help you with?" a man said from behind me. I turned to the wall adjacent from the entry wall to see a young man with thick, blond hair and tanned skin sitting behind a stone desk. There was a wall of old fashioned keys behind him, about half of the hooks actually empty of their keys. Good, there were still rooms left…

"Well, actually… I need a room…" I whispered, walking over to the desk to get a better look at the man. He was, if I had to guess, about the same age as Tommy. He was lean, with a similar build to Cassidy but a few inches taller, I would have assumed, if he was standing. He had pale green eyes and a soft, comforting smile. Alright, perfect, he seemed to be a nice guy. Easily manipulated…

 _Fuck Drake, what the hell has happened to you?!_ I hated feeling like I was using someone, but if Adam hadn't repeatedly manipulated me, I wouldn't even be here! "Well, we've got a bunch vacant. What kind would you like?" he asked me. I frowned, wondering how best to go about this.

"I… just need a place to sleep. It doesn't have to be fancy or anything, just somewhere to get out of the cold, but I'm terribly afraid that I have very little money…" I whispered, putting on a mask of pure pathetic-ness.

The man bit his lip, looking into my eyes before looking away. "I really can't give you a room unless you pay for it… The cheapest room we have is about-" I cut in, making myself seem even more pathetic, if that were possible.

"Please… my daddy sold me to this man and he…" I bit my lip, hating myself with every single word. If it was true, I wouldn't have felt bad about it at all, but since it was all one big, fat lie, I felt horrible. "He hurts me and I just… I can't stay with him anymore. I know he's… out looking for me right now and if he finds me," a tear rolled down my cheek as Adam's face painted itself into my mind. I reached out, putting a gentle hand over the older man's. "Please don't make me go back out there… I'll do anything I have to…" I really hoped he didn't take me up on that offer because I was really fucking tired of spreading my legs for people. To spread my legs for someone just to get what I wanted? Well that made me feel even worse. I felt… dirty, like I truly was a whore…

His green eyes filled with sympathy and he glanced towards the entrance of the hotel. "I…" He bit his lip, looking back into my eyes. Tears were hanging at the rims of my bright blue eyes. His stared at me for a while before looking down at my hand holding his. I gently started drawing gentle circles into his hand, grasping it tightly in my hand.

"Please… just tell me what you want and I'll do it…" I whispered. I felt like I needed to bathe, but I didn't let up. "Please…" I pleaded. He sighed, squeezing my hand gently.

"I'll give you a room. You don't have to do anything for me…" he whispered. Thank Ra… "I don't want to see anything bad happen to such a beautiful young man such as yourself." He turned, taking a key from the middle of the wall. "I would never dream of taking advantage of someone so in need…"

He stood up, walking around the front of the desk to stand beside me. My suspicions on his height were completely spot on. "Thank you… You are a… very honorable man," I whispered. He smiled, blushing lightly. The man was attractive, but not drop dead gorgeous. People who were more attractive than him probably didn't give him the time of day. Not that I was conceited or anything. It just became common knowledge to me, considering I was always turning heads back at the palace. I had even turned the Pharaoh's head…

"Let me take you to your room," he offered, holding out his hand to me. I took it gratefully and let him lead me up to the third floor of the building. The stone used in the lobby, as well as the hieroglyphs remained throughout the space. He lead me down to the last door of the wall and he unlocked it for me. "Please do not tell anyone I let you stay here. I could…. Get in a lot of trouble for it…" he whispered, his eyes pleading with mine.

I nodded, smiling softly. "I won't tell a soul, I promise," I said, leaning up on my toes to press a kiss to his cheek. His blush deepened and it was strange to have this sort of… power over someone. It felt wrong, but I was desperate. He pushed the door open and handed me the key.

"I hope this will suit your needs," he whispered and turned to walk back down the hall. "Good night," he added and I looked over my shoulder at him.

"Night…" I whispered. I watched as he disappeared down the hall. I felt bad for using him but at least he was kind. An honorable man… He didn't use me when I offered my services to him. Anyone else would have and I had to admire him for that. He was so kind and I felt like, after everything I had been through, that he was exactly the kind of person I needed to meet to give me some sort of hope. Some will to keep moving forward…

Sighing, I walked into the room. It was small but extremely cozy. A rather nice, large bed sat in the center of the east wall. Across from the bed were a couple of windows that had a view of the market and the palace in the distance. Off to the north the pyramids could be seen. Over all, it was a beautiful view, but I pulled the curtains shut almost immediately. I didn't want to look at my old home any more than I actually had to… I closed the door that lead to the hall, locking it before I tossed my bad and my key onto the bed. I needed to bathe. I felt disgusting for what I had just done. For the entire day, actually…

Being with Brad for no more than ten minutes, for listening to everything he said to me. Running through the halls of the palace and shoving so many people out of my way before I tripped and scrapped my knees up. They were still burning from that and I knew I needed to get the scraps cleaned out as well. All the more reason to take a bath. But what made me feel the most filthy, even more than destroying that statue, was letting Adam ever touch me. I should have know that he would never care about me the way he claimed to. I should have known from day one that he was trouble…

He was a snake. Beautiful and fluid in motion, but cunning and backstabbing. He used me for his own selfish reasons and, in the process, he made me fall in love with him. He made me care about him more than anyone else in the world. More than my mother, more than my little siblings, more than Tommy… More than Anna… I gave him everything I had to offer and he just took it from me. _He_ took advantage of me like the man in the lobby refused to. Adam was dishonorable. He was horrible… I hated him.

But that wasn't true either. I didn't hate Adam in the slightest, although I wished to. I would always love Adam, I realized. I could never make my heart stop loving him. He didn't deserve my love, but he still owned it. I had never been in love before he brought me to his palace, and now I wished dearly that I still had not fallen in love. I wished he sent me to work on the pyramids. I wished I was still a virgin… But I wasn't. Not anymore. He stole that from me and, in the process, he turned me into _his whore!_

Brad had been right the entire time. Ever since his abuse started. I was nothing more than a whore with a pretty face. I spread my legs so easily for the Pharaoh and even for Tommy. Perhaps it would have been wiser of me to open them for Brad. Perhaps his abuse would not have been so horrible if I realized then that I was a whore… Look at what I did to that man in the lobby! I acted like a whore to get what I needed from him. If I _acted_ like one, then I _was_ one…

I turned the water on, letting the tub fill up as I stripped. Tears were spilling down my cheeks again. I wondered if they would _ever_ stop. As I slipped into the tub, I momentarily thought about pushing myself under and staying there until I was no longer able to move, but if I killed myself, I would just go to the Afterlife, where Alexander was. I did not want that… I never wanted to face that man.

Ra, why was I so pathetic? Why did Adam do this to me?


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Fifty: How could you have come to hate me so? (Is this what you wanted?)**

 **Adam's POV**

With the sun dipping beneath the western horizon, I began to question going out tonight. I knew that I had to. I had to find Drake as soon as I could and make it up to him for everything that I'd failed him on. I needed to make things right and tell him that he wasn't a replica of Alexander and that he would _never_ be anything other than himself and my lover. I had to make this right…

But where would he have gotten such an idea? Yes, Alexander and Drake looked alike. They had similar personalities and habits. But Alexander was more of a science and political thinking type of person. Drake was creative, artsy. He made things. Alexander thought of things. They were two completely different people (thank you, Cassidy!). But he didn't know that. He only saw that they were similar, and thus didn't believe in my love for him…

I ran my fingers through my hair, running sweat into my locks. I grimaced softly, wiping at my forehead before drying off the back of my hand on my trousers. I hated the heat, but it was something I had to suffer with to keep serving my people. I sighed softly, looking at the bags of packed food and water that were sitting on Cassidy's bed. Tommy was off talking with other servant boys, getting some laundry done. We would need at least one change of clothes. If we were going to be traveling at night at all, we needed warmer clothes. At the very least, jackets.

Yes, even in Egypt, we have jackets.

I sat down on the edge of Cassidy's bed as the adviser came in. He looked exhausted and worried. I felt the same as much as I didn't want to show it. Why did it have to take hours to get ready? Why did fucking laundry have to take forever?! Cassidy sat down beside me, glancing over in my direction before speaking gently, "It's getting late, Adam… Are you sure you want to go tonight?" He asked.

I sighed again, dragging my fingers through my hair again, "I have to, Cass… I can't chance him getting farther away if we leave tomorrow. As it is I don't even know where to begin looking… He could've gone west, east, south, north… Northwest, southwest, northeast… The options are endless, Cass…" I looked over at him, feeling defeated and weak. I needed my boy… I needed him in my arms and in my life and he was gone because he didn't believe that… I dropped my head into my hands, so sick of crying, but I felt the tears stinging my eyes.

"So take one direction. You and Tommy go one way, send guards out in the other directions. He will be found, Adam, don't worry…" I snapped my head up, feeling my heart cracking.

" _I_ want to be the one to find him, though. I don't want _guards_ to find him, _I want to_ …" I hissed. I wasn't angry in the least. I was distraught. Depressed and desperate to have Drake back. He'd only been gone for a few hours, but those few hours were killing me. If he wasn't found, how could I survive days? Weeks? Years? I shivered, sitting up a little straighter. I wanted to sleep. But I knew I would never sleep until I had him back…

There was a knock at the door and Cassidy and I looked over. A young guard with a boyish face and kind, green eyes was standing there, fidgeting with his hands. He looked nervous, "M-my Pharaoh? A quick word, please?" He requested. I nodded once, motioning for him to enter the room.

He stepped in, bowing once, "M-my Pharaoh, I thought I should inform you… Earlier today, while I was working my shift of the dungeons.. Your love came, requesting to see Bradley, My Pharaoh." My heart cracked in my chest as the mention of Drake being my love, but I tried my best not to show it. I blinked once, staring hard at him. My brain just couldn't process what he'd said, though, and I blinked again, shaking my head.

"Repeat that, son?" I said. He swallowed, looking away from me for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"Your love," another crack, and I forced myself to breathe, "the brunette— Drake?— came, requesting to see your adviser, Bradley. I thought I should inform you of that—" he began to finish, but I shot from my seat on the edge of the bed. He was a well built and tall boy, but I was taller, more muscular, and a hell of a lot more powerful than he was.

"You're just telling me this _now?!_ " I seethed. I didn't want to be angry, but he'd only just now given me information that would've been useful several hours ago. The boy seemed to shrink even lower, staring up at me in fear. He probably thought I was going to strike him down or send him out to work on the pyramids. I didn't blame him, to be honest. If I was in his position, I'd be fearful, too.

"I-I apologize, My Pharaoh…" He whispered. I inhaled slowly, swallowing the pit of rage that was lodged in my throat. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, but I kept them there, forcing the anger back into a tight ball in the bottom of my stomach before I opened my eyes. I took another breath, unclenching my hands.

"Do not apologize, son. I thank you for telling me. Please go back to your duties." I told him as calmly and quietly as possible. His eyes were wide, probably in shock that I _didn't_ hit him at all, and that I'd spoken so calmly to him. He nodded his head, bowing once in respect before turning and rushing out of the room to follow my orders. I heard Cassidy stand from the bed, his footsteps soft as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Adam?" He whispered delicately. My hands were shaking at my sides; I closed my eyes, trying to breathe normally as I thought about all the things that could have been said between Brad and Drake. All the lies that could've been told. All the deceit… Maybe that's why Drake had been so enraged that he tore the library apart, destroyed Alexander's statue and spat such hateful words to me. Maybe Brad had told him something that was exaggerated or untrue.

Or maybe he told Drake the honest truth… Fuck.

"I'm going to kill him," I growled, my eyes snapping open as I pulled out of Cassidy's grasp on my shoulder and storming out of the room. My sandals slapped the stone and I felt rage and adrenaline pumping through my body like a drug. My pace went from a walk to a jog all the way to another dead sprint. Anyone who saw me coming immediately flocked to the walls, clinging to them as I shot passed.

I must've been quite the sight. Full of rage and hurt and running as fast and as hard as I could towards the dungeons. The closer I got, the thinner the groups of people became. There was almost no one down here, and, for that, I was thankful. I didn't want to chance hurting someone or someone trying to stop me. Not that they would even try. Besides, I doubted I would even hear them.

I skidded to a stop long enough to rip the door leading down to the dungeons open before I took off again, flying down the small flights of stairs and skidding around corners. My heart was pounding in my chest the farther down that I went. I passed prisoner after prisoner, all of whom were either silent as I flew or were asleep. Those who were awake stared. The only sound was that of my feet hitting the stones and my breath as I panted lightly.

I slowed my pace to a walk to catch my breath, but my heart wouldn't calm down. I walked down the last, small flight of stairs before turning a corner, charging down the small, narrow hallway to Bradley's door. There was a guard, stationed there. His eyes were dark in the dim lighting. I could tell he was young, but he was serious about his work. I waved him off and he reached across, pulling open the door without a word.

I slid into Brad's room, staring hard as his sleeping figure. I growled, crossing to the glass wall. My hands curled into a fist and I slammed it against the surface. The glass was too thick to crack but the sound was deafening. Brad jolted, turning on his cot to face me. His eyes went wide, his skin paled as he sat up slowly. His face was blank for the longest moment, like he wasn't sure if he should show me respect or sneer at me for hurting my boy.

"What did you tell him?" I snarled, keeping my voice low, dark and cold. He blinked once, a small smirk toying at his lips.

"Whatever do you mean, My Pharaoh?" I growled, punching the glass again. It hurt like hell, but I showed no pain in my face or my eyes.

" _No more fucking games, Bradley!_ " I shouted at him through the glass. The play in his eyes died out and was replaced with shock and fear. I dropped my hand from the glass, uncaring of the bruising that was already beginning to form there as I crossed to the glass door, turning the knob and shoving it open so hard against the stone it cracked, on the verge of shattering. I didn't care though. I wanted to tear him limb from limb…

Brad stumbled off of his cot, curling up in the corner of his cell as much as possible as I stalked towards him. He cowered before me, his eyes wide as he muttered, "M-my Pharaoh, please, think reasonably…" My hand lashed out and I backhanded him across the face. Brad yelped, falling to the floor with one hand on his face. He should've been used to this by now, no? He's only been the fuck toy of ever convict in this fucking place.

"What. Did. You. Tell. Him?" I growled at him, kneeling down and grabbing him by his hair. Brad cried out softly, his hand leaving his face as he clawed at my fist. But I refused to let go of his hair. I was seeing red painting itself over his skin and the thought of making him bleed and staining his skin with his own blood appealed to me more than it should have.

Brad stifled his whimpers, staring up at me with tears in his eyes. Still, though, he did not speak. I snarled, my hand tightening in his hair as I pulled him to his feet. He howled before I slammed his head into the glass wall. His head hit hard enough that he cried out, but not hard enough to knock him out, either. Too damn bad. He would've been better off if he had blacked out.

" _TELL ME!_ " I shouted in his ear, turning him and sending him flying into the cracked glass door. The need to break him and kill him was flowing so fluid and strong in my veins that, in the back of my mind, I was growing scared of myself. Brad stumbled, his arms reaching out to keep him from hitting head-long into the glass. The impact between his body and the stone wall forced the glass to shatter, and I could see pieces digging in and cutting his skin as he fell with the shards to the floor.

Brad whimpered, shaking in the pile of glass as he turned his head, looking up at me. I stepped forward, my frame trembling with rage and he raised a bleeding hand to stop me, "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you, I'll… I'll talk…" He said, his voice weak with defeat.

I stood, towering over him as he dropped his hand. He was gasping with pain, his eyes wary of my every move. He'd never been more afraid of me. Ra, he'd never been afraid of me ever until now. But he had every reason and right to be afraid. For how I was feeling, I would have no remorse killing him myself. But why take away the satisfaction of his death to others who wanted to see him suffer?

"I… I told him that he looked like Alexander… That you didn't care about him because all you saw was your dead lover…" His voice was barely above a whisper. I howled, reaching down and grabbing him by his shirt, lifting him to his feet only to throw him across the room. He tumbled like a rag doll to the floor, rolling over and bumping into the wall. I bent down to the floor, grabbing a thick shard of glass before making my way over to Brad.

His eyes widened further and he tried curling into the wall to get away from me, "Adam… Adam, please! Think about this… Don't do this…" He begged. I reared back and kicked him in the gut as hard as I could. He coughed, doubling over as I knelt down, grabbing him by the throat. He choked, gasping and clawing his nailless fingers into my arms. It did nothing. I got close to his face, close enough that I swore I could smell the scents of those who'd touched him as he touched Drake.

"Killing you would only bring you mercy, Brad. Instead… I pray to Osiris that he finds it within himself to send you where you belong. I hope that every damned and guilty soul destroyed by that of Ammut in the Underworld claims you for their own in the same way you tried claiming Drake; cold, unfeeling, painful, and merciless." I hissed, digging the edge of the shard into his chest. It wasn't deep enough to kill him. Barely more than a scratch. Brad gasped, crying out.

"I hope that Anubis leaves you in the waters, left behind on your voyage," I seethed, carving out hieroglyphics in his skin. I didn't have to look. The word I wanted was burned in the eye of my mind. "I hope that you suffer for all of eternity because no God should show you mercy," I dug a little deeper into his skin, pulling a strangled scream from this throat. I tightened my grip, forcing him to choke it back. His skin was turning pale I was squeezing so hard.

"I hope you burn, Bradley. You vicious, malevolent traitor…" I growled, spitting on his face as I slashed an underline beneath the hieroglyphics that spelled my last word; _traitor_. Now, when his body began its decent into the deepest places of the Underworld, all those other damned souls will see just how much he failed in this life.

I pulled him forward, slamming him back into the wall before letting go of his throat. He gasped, coughing for air as he collapsed on the ground, pressing one palm to his chest to stop the bleeding and another tenderly at his throat. I dropped the bloodied shard to the ground, turning and leaving the cell. There was no remorse for what I'd done. The only thing left burning in me was the need to find Drake and tell him how sorry I was…


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty-One: Without You, the Hand Gropes, the Ear Hears, the Pulse Beats  
Tommy's POV**

I returned to Cassidy's room with two shoulder bags slung over my left shoulder. One was filled with warmer clothing for me and the other for Adam. We had everything we needed to leave except for one thing. Adam wasn't in Cassidy's room. The adviser was sitting on the bed, looking rather distraught and I couldn't fight the frown that pulled at my lips.

"Where's Adam?" I asked, setting the clothing down with the food we were taking. Compared to what we normally ate in a meal, we were packing lightly, but it would still be a lot to carry if we were out for multiple days. I had no doubt that we would be out for a while, searching. Drake was a smart kid and, as much as I hated to say this about him, he was extremely attractive. It wouldn't be hard for him to convince someone to hide him or, potentially get a ride out of the city. Or worse… out of Egypt herself.

I wouldn't voice those thoughts to Adam. I honestly couldn't image what his reaction would be to thinking Drake might be whoring himself out to get what he wanted. I hated to think Drake would do that, but if he truly lost his will from learning about Alexander, his self esteem would be non-existent and it was all together possible that he simply didn't care about his image anymore. It wouldn't have mattered to him if he flirted and spread his legs for every guy who was willing to give him a meal and a place to sleep…

Adam would be devastated if he thought Drake was really offering himself to anyone. He would be heartbroken by that and the fact that with every person Drake gave himself to, Drake would be getting further and further away from him. What if he really did leave Egypt? My heart cracked at the thought of never seeing Drake again. I loved him too much to not have him in my life, but Adam? If he lost another love, I firmly believed he would simply fall apart.

"I think he went down to the dungeons, to see Bradley…" Cassidy said, his tone sad and hurt. Adam told me once that Cassidy and Brad were extremely close, lovers even. I couldn't image the betrayal Cassidy felt from what Brad had done to Drake. The man held his heart together well, hardly showing his true feelings about what had happened, but now I could see the pain in his brown eyes.

"Why would he go down there?! We have to go! The longer we wait, the further Drake is going to get!" I exclaimed, putting two fingertips to each temple. Damn it, Adam… Couldn't Brad wait? He just… wasn't important anymore. Not right now of all times!

Cassidy sighed, standing from his bed and walking over to the door to shut it. "A young guard came to talk to Adam after you left. The boy told him that Drake had gone down to the dungeons this morning… requesting to see Bradley," he said, doing a very good job to keep his tone level and even. My eyes widened at the news. Drake actually went to see Brad? Why would he do that? Alright, that was actually an extremely stupid question. It wasn't uncommon for rape victims to confront their attackers. Maybe Drake felt that, if he didn't confront Brad before his execution, that he would live with that regret forever? I was clearly missing a lot of details but just to think that Drake was alone with Brad for even five minutes gave me the chills. That must have been where Drake had found out about Alexander…

Ra, the things Brad could have told him!

Suddenly it was very clear as to _why_ Drake would believe Adam was just using him as a cover-up for Adam. Of course, ignoring the part that Adam did used to use Drake for precisely that. "So Adam went to do what exactly? Kill him?" I asked. Waiting one more day for the execution wasn't good enough for Adam now? Well… I couldn't entirely blame Adam for his sudden rage. His lover had run away, not allowing him to explain himself at all, because of Brad. Actually, thinking about what Brad might have convinced Drake of made me want to kill the former adviser myself.

"Well… Who could really blame him?" Cassidy asked softly, wincing as if he was in pain. I knew he was. His heart, like Adam's and like mine, was in a constant agony that he probably never thought he would experience.

"Cassidy…" I started to say, hoping to comfort him some, but I was immediately shut up when Adam came through the door. I glanced up at him, thinking that I've never seen him quite so angry before. He looked like he might punch a hole through the _stone_ wall and not even flinch. Glancing down at his hands, I saw traces of crimson. Blood…

"Holy shit, did you really kill him?!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself. The Pharaoh was many things, but a killer? I never thought he would be capable of something like that. Then again, I didn't really think he was capable of hitting someone right in the face, sending them tumbling to the floor, but that happened too. Maybe Adam was more of a violent person when it came to his heart than I ever thought possible… But could he really have killed Brad? I prayed that he didn't. He wasn't a murdered.

His blue eyes glanced over at me, like daggers piercing into my soul. "No, I didn't kill him, but I should have…" he grumbled, ripping his fingers through his hair quickly.

"Then what's the-" I started to say but he already knew what was coming.

"The blood? Just cutting him up like _he_ cut _Drake_ up," Adam hissed, wiping his hands onto his trousers. Apparently, he really didn't give a shit anymore… All that mattered was finding Drake. Alright, at least he wasn't, you know, moping around like a hopeless idiot anymore. "I do not regret it and, once he is executed tomorrow, the Gods will know just where to put him." He turned his Cassidy, his expression softening some. He kissed the adviser's forehead gently before pulling away. "I hate to ask this of you, Cassidy, but I need you to be in charge while I'm away. You're the only person I trust enough to do a good job. I know you won't have a problem with that, but I also need you to…" Adam bit down on his lip, his eyes wavering slightly.

"See to Bradley's execution?" Cassidy said with a very business-like feel. Adam nodded, frowning some. "I'll make sure it's taken care of, Adam. He deserves it… Now please, go and find your boy. He needs you more than you know…" Adam nodded, kissing Cassidy again before he turned back to me and the packed supplied.

"Let's get going. We've already wasted enough time…" he muttered, picking up the bag of food. It was heavier than the bags of clothing, so I kept both of the bags, simply nodding once as we left the room. Adam's expression slowly shifted from rage to anguish. I knew the questions buzzing around in his head. They were echoed in my own… _What if we couldn't find Drake? What if he hurt himself before we could get to him? What if he got hurt on accident or someone besides Brad tried to take advantage of him? What if he got sick because of the cold weather at night?_

 _What if this and what if that._

 _What if…_

To say the least, it wasn't a very cheery mindset… Very negative with a little bit of positive. But we both knew we wouldn't stop looking until we found Drake. What state Drake was in when we found him was a… completely different concept all together. He could be anywhere from perfectly fine, to sick and hurt or even working out of some whore house to make a living. The possibilities were endless and I tried to tell myself that he would be _fine_ until we found him.

The city was dead silent. I couldn't see one person out. Who could blame them, honestly? It was freezing at this time of night. The market was completely deserted. The whole city seemed to be frozen, as if Adam and I were the only things that could move freely in a snapshot. It was creepy to say the least. Kind of one of those things that makes you feel… like someone is always watching you but whenever you turn around there isn't anybody there.

Further and further from the palace, we only ran into a few people. Most of them appeared to be homeless or something very close to homeless. Regardless, we asked anyone we saw if they had seen a boy with Drake's description. We were desperate and we would take all the help would could get. Most (of the very limited amount of people we even ran into) said they had no idea, but a few people said they remembered his tattoos and his long hair pulled into a lopsided ponytail. Those details were what made Drake stand out in a crowd. His eyes would have too, if it had been daylight out.

Those who did remember him, either by his hair or his tattoos pointed in the same general direction. As it was, only about three people told us they saw him, but they all told us the same thing. He was heading in the opposite direction of the palace and bizarre. If my mapping of the city was correct, and there was a very good chance that it was complete shit because I hadn't left the palace in so long, Drake had wandered into the nicest part of the city. Rich business owners and people related to important officials lived in this section of town. The houses were large and grand, unlike most of the tiny, almost hut-like places that people like Drake and I lived in. This section was also what drew in tourists. Tourists meant hotels.

"What if he went to one of the hotels, Adam?" I asked as we passed some of the first giant houses. I would have been more impressed it, you know, I didn't live in the Pharaoh of Egypt's palace. "I mean… he can't possibly be out in the cold with the clothing we've supplied him?"

Adam sighed, coming to rest for a moment. We'd be searching for hours and, as far as we had gone, we still had the world to search… "We can't just go into every hotel here and ask if someone who looked like Drake checked in or not. I mean… there are over a hundred hotels in this area, maybe more, and we'd have to worry about people leaving once their shift was over. Searching the hotels would probably be a giant waste of time. If… he is in a hotel…" he bit his lip, knowing just as well as I did that Drake had no money to pay for a hotel. "If he's staying at a hotel, he'll have to leave soon. He's determined to get away from the palace… from _me_. He won't stay so close for very long. Not to mention… he can't afford it…" Adam sounded wounded all over again, like he found out that Drake was gone just moments ago instead of hours ago.

"Well… should we stop for the night?" I asked. Eventually we would need to rest. Eventually we would need to bathe and we would need to replenish our strength. We couldn't just keep wandering until we found him. Our bodies weren't physically capable of that, no matter how much we wished we could just keep going.

"I… No, not yet… I want to keep going," he said, sounding unsure and, at the very same time, determined. He wanted to find Drake more than anyone, probably even more than I did and that was saying something. "Surely Drake's gotten further than this…"

"Perhaps he got someone who lives around here to let him stay with them?" I offered cautiously. He glared at me, rage jumping into his eyes for a moment before burning away.

"Drake wouldn't stoop so low…" he said, shaking his head and trying so hard to convince himself of that. We both knew, however, that desperate times called for desperate measures. "Besides, he wouldn't be able to risk someone being close enough to him all the time that they might see the tattoos on his back. They would know that he belonged in the palace. He couldn't risk being recognized that way. The tattoos on his arms weren't distinctly mine like the one on his back is…" Actually, I was extremely impressed. That was a good point.

"How far should we go then, before getting some rest?" I asked and he sighed, shaking his head softly. He was trying to be so strong but it was clear that the chances of finding Drake were very slim. He didn't want to be found and I was sure he could make that happen if he tried hard enough to. We also, really, had no idea where he might have gone at all. We were taking the word of a few homeless people and even a general direction didn't really help us all that much. He could change his direction whenever he felt like it and he could also, potentially hurt himself in a place no one would find him in…

My stomach began to churn at the thought of Drake hurting and or killing himself. If he was desperate enough, I could see him doing it… but I wanted to believe that he wouldn't consider something like suicide. If I ever saw Drake's lifeless corpse, I…

I felt like I was going to be sick…

Suddenly I was so thankful that I didn't have an imagination like Drake did. If I could paint pictures in my head and I painted that one… I would not ever be able to get it out of my head. Just _thinking_ about Drake hurting himself was too much for me to deal with.

"I suppose we should probably just stop for the night… We aren't going to get much more done tonight. We're both exhausted. I can tell by the bags under your eyes. We both need sleep. We'll leave early in the morning…" he mumbled and he pushed to resume walking.

He lead me to the nearest hotel. It was small but beautiful. Where we stayed really didn't matter. All that did matter was resting so we would be at full strength to find Drake tomorrow. I prayed to the Gods that we would be able to find him in a day or two, but something told much that was far too much to ask for. Part of me believed that we would be lucky if it only took us a few weeks to find Drake.

 _Above all else, I hoped that when we found him, it wouldn't be too late…_


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty-Two: And I know that it's complicated, but I'm a loser in love…**

 **Drake's POV**

It'd been about four days since I left the palace. Each step, each mile farther and farther away left aching, bleeding holes in my heart, but, to be honest, I was relieved when I could no longer, truly, see it behind me in the distance. The first time I'd looked back and found myself unable to see it, I wondered if everything had been a dream. I'd wondered if it had been my overactive imagination that painted the images of nights in Pharaoh's bed and the love and heartache I'd felt.

But then I'd looked down to see the inking on my arms. I could feel the memory of the sting in my hips when the word "lover" was tattooed into my skin, and I knew that it wasn't a dream or some fantasy. It had all been too real. And that realization that I hadn't had some wild dream hurt in ways I thought it wouldn't have. It hurt because it had been real. It hurt because, now, I could never go back to that.

I know it sounded ridiculous, but it was true. After four days, I hadn't run into any trouble with guards or people looking for me. No one saw me and suspected my once-nice clothing and beautifully inked skin. I hated it, but I'd already given up on the idea that Adam was coming for me. I'd given up on the hope that, maybe, what Brad had said had been wrong and that Adam hadn't been using me. I gave up wishing that he'd find me and sweep me into his arms…

I shook my head, holding my bag close to me. I was almost out of money and the only scrap of food left was half a loaf of dried out bread. My water was empty and the streets were thinning out into some shoddy parts behind the rich district. I couldn't be sure how far I'd gone or even if I was in a completely different city. I had to have been, because nothing looked familiar. Nothing looked right to me.

To be honest, if this was another city, I didn't like it. The streets were all dirt and brown grass, whereas my… My old home had paved roads and nice shops. Houses, though small and quaint, were cozy, homely and nice. These houses were falling apart with breaking roofs and glassless windows. I shivered despite the heat bearing into my back and into my hair. It'd gotten so long, not to mention it was greasy as hell at this point. I couldn't completely pull it into a lopsided ponytail anymore without it looking weird. It just went into a regular ponytail— I could even add my bangs.

Sweat rolled down my face, but I didn't bother wiping at it. My skin was covered in dirt. My legs ached from walking so much. My once-polished and nice sandals from the palace were now worn, dirty and looking less than palace-worthy. I sighed softly, hanging my head a little low as I shuffled down the streets of this worn and hopeless-looking city. It made my heart heavy…

Some people just had it so easy… I never realized it before just how simple my life had been with Adam. Sure, things got emotional and crazy, but I didn't have to worry about having a job to pay taxes. I didn't have to worry about taking care of anyone, really, other than myself. That had been different before Adam, but… Looking at this city made me see that these people needed help…

I passed what looked to be a small school. It looked like one building, one room, with cut outs for windows and an open arch as a doorway. There were small children inside with someone who looked to be between my age and Tommy's. She was young with her dark hair pulled up into a bun to keep it off her neck. She looked tired, but she was into what she was doing. I glanced away, licking my chapped lips.

Part of me was screaming at myself to turn around and go back. Go back to the palace. To the place where I belonged. But then Brad's words would wash themselves into my ears. Whispering how I wasn't loved there. I didn't belong there. I never did and never would. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to force back tears. I wanted to go home… I wanted to go to my family; my mother and my siblings. I wanted to weep and mourn with them over Anna. But I couldn't. What if they were still under the protection of the guards? Of Adam? Besides, it was too close to the palace, anyway… I couldn't risk being recognized and dragged back…

Oh, Ra… What if I was found? Would Adam… Would Adam hit me like he hit Tommy? Would he punish me for leaving? I'd seen his anger and rage; the blackness of his eyes and the set of his jaw when he wanted to tear Brad apart after I'd told him what the bastard had done to me. But that rage had never been directed towards me, and I wasn't too keen on experiencing his wrath to that degree…

I swallowed the dry lump of fear from my throat, wincing slightly. I needed water. This heat was beginning to kill me. I'd tried biting my tongue now and then for saliva, but it was like stone in my mouth. Barren. Tasteless and devoid of moisture in the least bit. I coughed softly, shifting my near-empty bag to my other shoulder as I walked through the city. Small, crumbling houses and the occasional farmer working in the dry dirt…

This city was dead. There were people but there was no life in any of them. This… This didn't even feel like a city. It felt like a death sentence more than anything. The roads became more like sand and less like dirt and grass. Trees were thinning out, and I noticed that, probably a mile in the distance, were hills of sands. The desert. How far out was I really from the palace? I couldn't remember it ever being close to the desert. But then again, there were different irrigation systems for different cities… Maybe this place just wasn't so lucky?

My heart clenched in my chest. I missed the palace. I missed Tommy's room. I missed waking up and seeing that mural on his wall. I missed walking through the palace in my free time or spending time with Adam… My heart clenched again and I had to blink back tears. I missed Adam… I missed his smile. I missed his laugh. I missed his eyes, his arms, his lips, his body… The fucking King of Egypt had turned me into his whore, but I missed everything about him…

I didn't want to miss him. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him for hurting me and using me, but… I still missed him like hell. I missed him and I loved him dearly and I hated myself for leaving, but… He used me. He used me to hold onto his selfish desires for some dead lover. I couldn't go back to him if all he saw in me was someone else that just looked like me. I couldn't give him my heart when he was giving his to someone in the Afterlife…

I sighed, my eyes drooping shut lightly before fluttering open again. Exhaustion and dehydration were coursing through me, making me want to drop and just sleep. I wanted to drop into the sea of pillows on Adam's bed, curl up in his arms and sleep and pretend that none of this had ever happened. Or maybe, if I could, I'd turn back time… I'd stop myself from going to see Brad… I would've asked about the statue and its significance. I would've asked questions, I…

I wouldn't have gone to Brad…

My eyes fluttered open a little wider before. What if that was the problem? What if Adam hadn't been using me? What if he truly loved me like he claimed for so long? That everything we shared meant something to him as it did for me and that all the things that Brad had said had just been a lie? My heart shuddered in my chest and I stopped in mid step, staring down at the sandy grounds of this dead, hopeless city.

Had I been a fool in talking to Brad? I thought I'd done the best thing for myself in going to see him for clarification. Had I made a mistake? No, I hadn't… Adam should have told me about Alexander. But would things have been better if I'd heard it from him? Perhaps. Perhaps I would've tried to listen. But I'd been in such a jealous, heartbroken rage that I didn't give him the chance to explain himself.

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the tears stinging. It always seemed so honest and real when Adam told me he loved me. Tommy always said you could see it in his eyes when it came to his true emotions— and I saw it there! I saw that love in his eyes! Had I been a fool? Or had Brad been right in that all he saw was Alexander when he saw me?

I heard a gentle cough behind me and I opened my eyes, turning and seeing nothing. I frowned, blinking away my tears before walking forward again, keeping my bag close to me. My throat felt dry and my body was beginning to not want to function at all. I needed water. A lot of it. I needed water and food and a place to fall down and sleep. I needed Adam's arms around me and I needed to hear the story from him…

But what if he only said it to hold onto me? For Alexander?

 _Stop it, Drake! Adam loves you. Couldn't you see that in his eyes when he was crying? Couldn't you see the hurt and the pain that was there because you weren't believing in his love?_ I shuddered, curling my arms around my stomach. I wanted to believe that the love was there and it wasn't my imagination. I cared too deeply about him. Loved him too much…

I glanced to my left, seeing a stone ring and a wooden lever system with a bucket and rope; an old fashioned well off to the side. It was a far-fetched hope, but, if it had water, could I be denied? I rushed over to it, curling my hands around the stone edge, leaning over and looking down. Under the sunlight I could see the glint of water, like a teasing drop into paradise. Oh, thank Ra!

I reached up, releasing the latch on the lever and dropping the bucket down, satisfied with the close-sounding splash. Grabbing the lever, I turned it in its circle, pulling the bucket up. Exhaustion and the lack of water in my body made me week, but my thirst was enough determination to keep me turning the lever. My arms were shaking as I pulled it up, holding it with all my force in one hand as I set the latch in place to hold it. I reached over to the bucket, pulling it from its ring and bringing it to my lips.

I had never tasted sweeter water.

I slurped it down as fast as possible, draining a good third of the bucket down my throat and on my chest as it sloshed over the sides before pulling it away from my lips and setting it on the edge of the well. I gasped, breathing hard before bringing the bucket back to my lips, drinking more and more. I'd heard all those things about dehydration. Usually, when out in the heat like this, you're supposed to drink a lot of water before it really sets in. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much access to such. I didn't want it to get worse. Why not get as much as I could now?

"Hey," a gruff of a voice stopped me in mid drink and I lowered the bucket from my face, staring across the rim at a man with stubble and beady, dark eyes. His hair was disheveled around his face, greasy and thick. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and ratty trousers clung to his hips. Worn, aged sandals were strapped to his feet. He was well built and toned, his skin a near light chocolate from the sun. "What do you think you're doing?" He questioned, his voice hard.

I swallowed the water from my mouth, setting the bucket down on the edge of the well. My heart beat was increasing in my chest and I wondered if what I'd drunk had given me enough strength to make a run for it. But I wasn't a convict. I hadn't done anything wrong other than get some much needed and desired water. Was that a bad thing? Or had he recognized me? No, he couldn't have. I was too far from the palace…

"I— I was just getting some water…" I told him quietly, my hands shaking on the bucket. The edge was wide enough that I didn't have to worry about accidentally knocking it into the well to be forever lost.

"You realize that water belongs to this town? It's the only thing we have?" He growled, taking a step towards me. I whimpered softy, taking a set from the well. I hadn't known.

"I'm s-sorry. I'm just passing through and I was in need. I'll go now…" I told him, but he shook his head.

"I can't let you do that… Normally, people just _passing_ through talk to us townsfolk, get our _permission_ before taking our water. People who just take _without_ talking to us… Well," he smirked, "they pay a price…" He sneered. I swallowed the drying lump in my throat, my heart shaking in my chest.

"I— I don't have much, but I have money—" I began to say, but he shook his head, taking another step towards me.

"Money isn't what we want. Usually people pay by doing some of our harder jobs or… Serving in.. _other_ needs.." He suggested, his eyes roving up and down my body. I trembled my eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" I thought if I played it off all naïve, I'd be able to get away from this situation. But the man just smirked, taking another step towards me. I took another step back, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest.

"I'm sure a boy as pretty as you knows _exactly_ what I mean…" He hissed, charging towards me. I gasped, turning and making a run for it. But even with the water, I was exhausted. My feet had blisters from walking and I was overheated and tired. This man had been living here for only Ra knew how long and I didn't have a chance at outrunning him, unless, for whatever reason, he was some kind of a gimp or something… Doubtful though.

I'd barely made it ten steps when his fingers curled into my shirt, pulling me back and throwing me into a wall. I cried out, trying to push off to run, but his hands slammed into my shoulders, pinning me to the blistering stone.

"I don't think so, pretty boy," he hissed, his breath tickling my neck as his eyes bore into mine. Tremors of fear and regret were gushing through my body. I knew what he wanted and the only thing running through my mind was _this wouldn't be happening if I hadn't run away from Adam…_


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter Fifty-Three: Out Here In the Desert, Your Shadow Lives On Without You  
Adam's POV**

"How much water do we have left, Tommy?" I asked, groaning quietly. The heat was becoming too much to bare and we'd be searching for Drake for days. We'd gone through all of our food and stopped to buy more, but we were no longer in the city. This place, I knew was not a city. Only the poorest of the poor lived out here and, if we had been searching for anything to purchase, we wouldn't find it here.

"Um… maybe, like, a cup…" Tommy murmured, groaning softly. "Give or take a swallow…"

"Shit…" I muttered, staring down at Tommy. We were both exhausted, that much was obvious. "On the other side of this 'town' is just dessert… If Drake really ventured out there, he's probably…" I choked on a dry lump in my throat. Fuck, we needed water… "He probably wouldn't have made it far before he…" I couldn't even say the word _died_. I refused to believe it. There was absolutely no way Drake was dead. He couldn't be… I would _not_ lose another person I loved to the Afterlife. I've lost too many already! My entire family… _Alexander!_

I would _not_ let the Gods take Drake too.

"Adam…" Tommy whispered, but I could hear the underlying fear in his tone. "Drake wouldn't have wandered out into the desert. He knows he wouldn't survive out there. I kind of doubt he would even come out to this… can it even be called a town?" he asked. We stared at each other for a moment before sighing in unison. "Maybe we should… turn back and start in a different direction. Drake's too smart to go out into the desert by himself with no provisions."

But no one was logical when they were desperate. Look at Tommy and me! We had been wandering through Egypt to find Drake with absolutely no idea where he was going. Hell, Drake probably didn't even know where he was going! He was just going to get away from the palace. _To get away from me._ "But then again, he might just not care what happens to him anymore…" I said miserably. If Drake did go out into the desert, he was dead or he was close to dying.

"Please… Don't say that…" Tommy whimpered next to me. He was as heartbroken over Drake's disappearance as I was and that truly was saying something. "He _didn't_ do anything to himself!" he added forcefully, as if convincing us both of that fact instead of just me. He didn't believe it anymore than I did.

I sighed, looking down at my dried and cracking hands. This heat was literally a killer. My palace life had been so easy… Perhaps I hadn't realized just how troublesome my peoples' lives were. They needed help and, so far, I hadn't been providing that help. I would have to get on that soon, but it had to wait until after I found Drake. If I didn't find Drake, the entire country would suffer because I would have no will to do anything…

"What should we do, Adam? Turn back?" Tommy asked after a moment of an extremely uncomfortable silence.

I shook my head, my greasy hair sticking to my neck. Part of me wanted to just cut it all off so I wasn't quite so hot… "Not yet. Let's do a quick search of this town just to be sure and… walk out towards the start of the desert. If we can't see him from the boarder, let's assume he didn't go out there…" I stopped for a moment, tears stinging my eyes harshly. "If he went out there, he wouldn't have gotten far before just… collapsing…" I still couldn't mention _dying_. I just could not do it.

Tommy nodded, linking his arm with mine. "Alright, let's get looking then. The more time we waste standing here, the further Drake is going to get," he said, trying to sound motivational but he just made me feel more hopeless. Drake was gone already! _If_ we found him, we'd be _lucky_. "Come on," he added, pulling my arm with the full weight of his small frame.

Like a lost puppy, I followed him, knowing very well that I had to keep pushing forward. As long as Drake was out there, alone, I would search for him. I couldn't let him go. I should have just told him about Alexander myself! I should have told the guards on dungeon duty to not let anyone see Bradley. There were a thousand things I should have done that I didn't and now I was regretting those decisions more than I've regretted anything in my entire life.

"Why would people even live all the way out here…?" Tommy muttered and I sighed deeply, closing my eyes in exhaustion for just a moment.

"Because they can't afford to live anywhere else. You and Drake both had money issues at home, but you both had lives that were… possibly, a thousand times better than the poor, unfortunate souls who live here," I said. "A lot of them are probably criminals who couldn't find work once they were released. And, of course, their children. Others just refused to do anything as children, so they never became a professional in anything when they were adults and they didn't have much choice but to live out here or work on the pyramids. Honestly, I would have gone to the pyramids before I would have ever come to this place…"

Tommy shuddered visibly. "That's comforting to know… Let's just hurry up and get through this place. It gives me the creeps…" Tommy muttered quietly so no one who could, potentially, pass by. Hopefully the fact that I was the Pharaoh would be enough authority to keep any unwanted people away from us, but there were no guarantees there, really.

"I agree…" I whispered, biting down on my bottom lip. I never knew lips could be so chapped, but mine felt like there really wasn't much lip left at all. It was my imagination, I was sure, but that didn't stop me from touching my lips to make sure they were actually still there. "We need to find some water before nightfall too… We can't survive on a cup," I mentioned, just to make sure Tommy understood we needed to get back to an actual part of civilization tonight.

"Yeah I know…" he muttered as we passed by a few houses that looked about ready to come down. Across from the houses was a tiny school with one woman who appeared to be the teacher and a few kids. Most of them looked out the window to look at Tommy and I rather than paying attention to whatever the teacher was trying to get them to learn. Like their parents, they probably expected no better than a life in the Hell on Earth. Why would they waste their time learning to divide numbers if they were just going to be tending to half dead crops for the rest of their lives?

I paid them little mind. I felt sorry for them, of course, but my mind was focused on not only finding Drake, but making sure he was alright and that he wasn't dying out in this heat… We turned down another street which lead straight out to multiple sand duns. There was a single well placed right on the edge of the street but I really doubted there was any water in it. How would it not have evaporated?

"Please…" a young man whimpered and, for a moment, I thought it was Tommy.

"Please what?" I asked, glancing over at him but he was looking across the street. Between two building that both looked like the were going to come down at any moment, a large, well built man was pinning a much smaller, more delicate looking boy to the wall. I very quickly realized that Tommy was not the one whimpering, but I couldn't really place the voice. When you were as thirsty as everyone probably was out in this place, your voice just didn't sound right.

The larger man pulled the smaller off the wall and threw him to the ground on the edge of the road, ripping the boy's shirt off in the process. Chocolate locks fell out of the boy's ponytail and purple blotches on his arms and back gleamed harshly against his pale skin in the brightness of the sun.

 _Drake…_

For a moment, I couldn't believe I was actually seeing him. Sure, he was covered in dirt. So was I, but he was also still extremely beautiful. I was afraid I was imagining him and if I got to close, he would vanish. But the man moving to undo his own trousers quickly pulled me away from my worries. "Please stop…" Drake muttered again, forcing himself to his knees in attempts to push off the ground and run, but the boy looked tired. Too tired, in fact.

The man simply knelt behind him, grabbing onto his hips. "See, you knew what you were doing the entire time," he sneered, his fingers digging into the hem of Drake's worn shorts. The man didn't notice me and Tommy or, if he had, he simply chose to ignore us. When he pulled Drake's shorts down enough for me to see the tattoos inked forever in his hips, I nearly lost it. Drake's face was pressed into the sands of the roadway and I could plainly see the tears streaming his face. "Don't cry little whore…" the man whispered and that was all it took for me to be at their sides, shoving the man back onto his ass. Rage filled my every pore and, for a moment, all I saw was Bradley attempting to rape Drake again instead of some random, greasy guy on the street.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you are doing?!" I hissed at him in a blind rage. I wanted to tear into him just like I had torn into Brad, but I kept myself from slamming his head into the wall…

He didn't seem to recognize me when he looked up through a veil of his hair. I shouldn't have really been surprised that people in this town didn't know what their Pharaoh looked like. They didn't care about me at all. "Little whore took our water without permission. He was just… paying us back for it," he sneered, getting up to his feet just as Drake did. He made to reach for the boy but I smacked his hand away from grabbing Drake by the arm and I shoved him back as hard as I possibly could.

"He's not a whore and he's also _not_ yours!" I hissed. "Water is water. It is owned by _no one_ and if he was in need of it, you should have been happy to help him! Or would you have watched a young man die because of your selfishness?!" The man looked enraged, as if Drake really were his property. That only made me angrier. "I suppose you would have, considering you were just trying to take advantage of him in broad daylight!"

"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot have?" he hissed back, but his eyes looked past me, staring straight at Drake. All I could tell out of the corner of my eye was that Drake had his arms around himself and he was frozen to the spot he was standing in.

"Because I am your _Pharaoh_!" I shouted. "And if I _ever_ see you lay a hand on anyone else, especially _my_ boy, I will not be so forgiving. I'll be sure to have my guards pay you an unfriendly visit."

The man's eyes widened as he looked from Drake to me. "M-my Pharaoh… I had… no idea he was yours…" he whispered, realization and fear setting into his beady eyes.

"It does not matter if he wasn't. You have no right to force anyone to bed with you and…" Tommy cut in.

"Adam, we found him, alright? Let's just go… we found him, that's all that matters," he said, his voice soft as he moved to stand next to Drake, pulling the young brunette into his arms. Drake was in tears and, while I was distracted, the chocolate toned man scurried off. I didn't care though. The moment my eyes landed on Drake, tears sprung up into my eyes and I rushed to his side, taking him into my arms and holding onto him like he was the last thing on this Earth.

"Drake… Thank Ra you're alright…" I cried, my face buried into his shoulder. Drake shook with sobs. "I was so worried I would never see you again and I just…" I bit my lip, trying to organize my words before spewing them all out. I loved Drake. I needed him to know how much I loved him and… I needed him to come home. More than anything I needed him to come back to the palace and let me take care of him.

Drake stared up at me, his big blue eyes burning a hole right through to my soul. "But…" he stared to say, his voice cracking with a combination of sobs and dehydration.

"No, Drake… buts…" I whispered, pulling back enough to take his face into my hands. "Drake, I am so sorry I never told you about Alexander… What Brad told you isn't true in the slightest. Yes… yes, you do look like him. You have similarities to him but you and Alexander are two extremely different people. I will tell you everything about him, Drake, I promise you I will but please know that your resemblance to him is not at all why I love you. I could take years to tell you everything I love about you but Alexander's name would never come up in that list…" I knew I was rambling a lot so, instead, I paused, took a deep breath, and rubbed circles into his tear stained cheeks. "Please come home, Drake… Please, Baby? My heart can't handle not having you with me. Every moment you are away from me, my heart begins to crack."

His tears didn't let up. In fact, they simply came harder. "You should hate me for what I did to Alexander…" he whispered, his eyes looking lost and desperate. "And for running away from you without even listening to you. I…" he choked up, sounding like he desperately needed more water.

"Baby, I'm not angry with you. This was all my fault for not being honest with you about Alexander… I should have told you but honestly, I was afraid that something exactly like this would happen. I never wanted you to feel like I didn't love you because that simply isn't the truth…" I whispered, reaching down to take one of his hands into mine. I pulled it up to his chest, pressing it flat against my hand, right over my heart. "It's not Alexander's anymore. Drake… you stitched it back together and stole it right out of my chest…" I whispered, tears swelling into my eyes.

Drake's eyes stared at the hand covering my heart and he began shaking. "Adam… I… Ra, I'm so sorry… I just, I thought you didn't love me…" he whimpered, biting down hard on his chapped lip.

I simply shook my head, pressing a kiss into his lips. "Drake, you don't need explain. I understand… Just, please tell me you'll come home with us… I'll get down on my knees and beg if I have to. Please baby, I love you so much and I can't stand to not have you at home with me…" His eyes were shining in the sunlight.

"I wanna come home…" he whispered, sounding so young I would have believed he still had his innocence. "I wanted to the minute I left but I was afraid and I thought you didn't love me…"

I pulled the boy to my chest again, holding him tightly against me. "It's alright, boo… Just please come home. I love you so much…"

Drake nodded, his head falling against my shoulder. "I love you too…" he whimpered, shaking lightly. The boy was exhausted and I was almost certain that, if I were to let go of him, he would completely give way. I scooped him up into my arms, holding his tiny form against my body.

"Let's find a hotel back towards the palace and away from here. We can at least rest and get some food and water. Tomorrow we'll make arrangements to get home," I said to both Drake and Tommy. The blond walked by my side, gently running his fingers through Drake's sticky hair. He needed a cut…

To be honest, I was amazed at how easy it was to convince Drake to come home but, when I thought about it, I had poured my soul out to him, gave him everything I had in those few sentences. I was his completely and nothing was going to take me from him. If he hadn't been so upset the night Brad told him about Alexander, I probably could have gotten through to him then.

But I wasn't bitter about him running away. The only thing that mattered was that we found Drake, relatively unharmed. Even if I had to push some shit sack away from him, he was mostly alright. He just needed some food, water and a little time to just relax and he would be alright. There wasn't anything I thanked the Gods more for than bringing me to my love.

"I'm sorry, Adam…" he whispered into my neck after a long time of walking in silence. The sun was setting and we were close to a few hotels. Nowhere near the palace, but this was a nice enough place to stop and rest. Until he spoke, I thought he had fallen asleep in my arms. I certainly wouldn't have blamed him… Poor thing.

"Don't be. This was Bradley's doing. He wanted to ruin you completely before his execution and he almost succeeded… But he underestimated my love for you," I said softly, turning my head to press a kiss into his hair. "Don't worry about it anymore. All that matters is you are safe and with me again…"


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter Fifty-Four: You're The Only Thing In This Whole World That's Pure And Good And Right**

 **Tommy's POV**

My fingers lazily ran through Drake's long hair, his breath tickling my face as he slept. It'd been a few days since Adam and I had found him in that city out in the desert, about to be… Assaulted by that man, if he could've even been called such. It was, truly, a miracle we were able to find him at all. He'd gotten at least ten, maybe twenty miles out of the city on foot. Had we not found him when we did, we probably would've never seen him again.

But I tried not to think about that prospect. He was home and he was safe. No one would hurt him again here. Brad… Brad had been executed while we were away. I was sad, to say the least, that we were not home to see him suffer the way he made Drake suffer, but, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I would rather miss out on seeing Brad's execution accomplished in a hundred different fashions than never seeing Drake for the rest of my life.

Sighing softly, my fingertips trailed along Drake's jaw, curving around and going back up into his hair. Even after spending, something, like, five or six months here, he was still a rather heavy sleeper. He still had to be shaken to wake up, whereas Adam only had to touch my face or my hair and I would be awake almost instantly. Not always, though, Drake waking me from my dream was proof enough of that…

Ra… That had been so long ago, it seemed. The past six months had been something of a soap opera, and it was hard to believe that we'd made it through everything. Between Drake first being brought her to the other night when Adam walked beside me with Drake curled up in his arms after a long day of traveling.

I could still remember some of the servants faces when we waltzed in, the poor boy asleep with his arms around Adam's neck… It was different on their faces, but they all showed relief. Guards had been informed of Drake's return to the palace and the posts around the cities had been reprieved; they were brought back to continue their regular, daily routines at the palace and in the gardens behind the walls. Back to the way things had been.

Cassidy, who'd looked exhausted and drained of every emotion possible, it seemed, was, also, relieved. I could tell that he was still a little shaken up about Brad's execution, but he wouldn't say anything about the subject of it. He would just say that Brad got what he deserved and nothing more on the matter. But I could see in his eyes that it was more than Brad just "getting what he deserved". I knew better than to ask him about it, and I never bothered Adam with the question either. If I was meant to know, I would be told.

The first night with Drake back home, he slept in Adam's arms in their chamber without me. Before Drake left, anytime that I slept by myself in my room without the artist, there was no discomfort. But, that night, knowing Drake was home, safe and well, but not being able to be with him just left me restless and empty, like I was missing a part of myself and I wouldn't be complete without it. Shameless as it was, I requested a night with Drake, just us. Just holding and waking up to each other, nothing more. Adam must've understood my desire to have some time with him, for he allowed it without second thought despite the history that I had with being with Drake. Alone.

Which brought me here, Drake curled up in my arms, my fingers running lazily through his overgrown hair. He was cleaned, washed of the dirt that he'd been covered in from running. His hair shined delicately in the morning light that was streaming through my windows. His purple tattoos were in deep contrast to his skin, which had colored in the days of his traveling through the nearby cities, but he was still pale for being Egyptian.

I smiled softly, my fingers gliding over his lips. His mouth opened a little wider and he sighed softly. My heart fluttered in my chest and I removed my fingers, tilting my head down and pressing my lips over his. I moaned gently, feeling his lips, sleepily, working with mine. Slow and sluggish, but a sweet kiss, none the less. He moaned into my mouth and I pulled away, running my fingers through his hair again. He didn't open his eyes, but he spoke quietly.

"Am I dreaming?" He whispered, and I smiled, kissing him chastely. The boy was just so perfect. So utterly beautiful and perfect.

"Open your eyes and tell me if you are," I told him, my fingers massaging his scalp. His eyes fluttered open slowly, the sun catching the clear, ocean waters of his irises and I couldn't stop myself from gasping for breath, gently. Beautiful as ever. He smiled, blinking slowly before reaching up and touching my face softly, pulling me down into another kiss. I moaned again, cupping his face in my hands as I hovered over him.

"Good morning," I whispered against his lips. He chuckled, pecking me again.

"Morning, Tommy." He replied, smiling. I giggled, kissing his cheek and dragging my fingers through his hair again. He leaned into my touch, a soft blush crossing his face as I pressed a gentle peck to his forehead. His arms snaked around my waist and he held me close, burying his face into the crook of my neck. I rolled to my side, pulling him into my chest, holding him as close as I could manage.

"I'm sorry," he whispered after a moment, and I frowned gently, rubbing his back. My fingers slid over the scars and I had to fight back the tears of memories. I could only imagine how he must've felt, feeling a blade digging into his skin, ruining Adam's promises…

"For what, darling?" I asked him, looking down at him. He shook his head, and I could see tears in his eyes.

"For running away… For not believing in what I felt and believing, instead, in that of a liar. I… I should've asked Adam about Alexander instead of blowing up at him and then running away. I should've gone to Adam, first, for everything.. But I went to Brad. And I'm so sorry.." He mumbled. I shushed him delicately, holding him close as I pressed kisses in his chair.

"Baby, don't… There's no shame in being upset. You felt betrayed, and that kind of grief and rage makes people think in ways they normally wouldn't. I know you love Adam, and on any given day, you would go to him… I can't imagine the things that Brad told you, and I'm so sorry that Adam didn't tell you sooner. I— I tried getting him to tell you. I told him he needed to tell you how he felt about you and the whole thing with Alexander before you and I… Before we…" I trailed off, unsure of how to phrase it, but Drake finished it for me.

"Before we made love?" I felt my heart stutter in my chest, and I wondered, for a moment, if he could feel it. I blushed, smiling and kissing him again.

"Yes… I told him that he needed to talk to you, but I told myself that, if he didn't, I would always be here for you. And when I came back, you needed me… You needed me for something he wasn't giving you, and I have no regret in being there for you." I told him. Drake shook his head, looking up at you.

"Tommy, I _used_ you. That was so cruel and wrong of me, I—" I shook my head.

"No, Drake. You didn't use me. At least, I don't think of it like that. You were in need. I gave you love. I was being there for you because Adam hadn't been. But now he is here for you. You know that. You knew it when he declared his loved for you— he told me, Drake— and you knew the other day when we found you in that small town off the desert. When he was begging you to come home… Words like that don't come from a man who doesn't love you, doesn't want to give you everything…" I told him. Drake's eyes welled with tears and he pressed his face into my chest.

"But where does this leave you? Adam and I are in love, but you love me, too…" He questioned. I inhaled slowly, unsure of what to say. I tried not to think about that prospect. True, I did love Drake dearly. I wanted him for my own, but I knew that would be impossible for the rest of time. He belonged to Adam just as much as Adam belonged to him. They were meant for each other, to say the least. It would be morally wrong and traitorous of me to try and claim Drake as my beloved when he was committed to Adam, already.

"I don't know, yet. That's something for the Gods and the future to decide for me. If Fate has it that I will love another, then I will welcome it as graciously as I have welcomed loving you. If not, I will be content. I will continue loving you even if it means you will never, at least, in this life, be mine," I whispered into his hair. Drake shivered, looking up at me with soft tears in his eyes. He reached up, touching my lips before I bent down, kissing him again. He moaned quietly as my hand palmed his face. My heart was skipping beats and I was sure it was unhealthy, but I didn't care. I just didn't care.

"I love you," he whispered into my lips and I gasped, tears stinging my eyes.

"I love you, too, Drake." I said, pouring my heart into those three little words. True, he would never be mine. But that couldn't keep me from loving him. That couldn't keep me from being with him when Adam wished for it. That wouldn't keep me from stealing kisses and gentle touches.

Holding him close, Drake and I didn't speak for the longest time. We listened to the sounds of each other's hearts beating, joining together and becoming one solid thrum. Our lips would graze and that joined beat would beat faster slightly before calming down again. Tongues would taste and mesh and they'd separate from their harmony before slipping back together again. It was about as intimate as the night we made love. Apart from the fact that his heart was not mine to cherish, he held mine in his delicate, artistic hands, and I was content.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty-Five: I Am Not Afraid to Keep On Living  
Drake's POV**

What I had decided to do for Adam was difficult to say the least. When I ran away, so many people were worried about finding me and nobody paid any mind to the library. A few days after I got home, I went back to find it still destroyed. Staring out at it, I honestly couldn't believe I had done something so destructive. My hands were meant to create not ruin creation.

It took several days just to get the place cleaned up. Shelves once again stood with endless amounts of books. I had to throw away small trinkets and such that had been smashed, but it would be easy to go out to the market place and replace them. Most of them, as I came to understand, weren't very valuable at all.

The library stood in all of its former glory and I was pleased with my work. All except for Alexander's statue, which still sat in a pile of rubble in the middle of the library. Staring at it for the first time made my heart ache because I destroyed it for now reason. There wasn't anything wrong with Adam mourning his dead lover… There was nothing wrong with building something for him. Most people could go to grave sights to be with loved ones who had passed on, but Alexander, I was sure, was buried deep within one of the Great Pyramids. There was no visiting him there. People could easy get lost in the mazes of the intestines of the pyramids and generally, if they were not found by a tombs keeper, they died.

I felt horrible for destroying the statue. It could not simply be replaced by going out to the market and buying another one. So I sat next to it for hours, staring at the pieces. A lot of them had broken into large chunks… It wouldn't be easy, but it was possible to piece them back together. I could put it back together, sand out the cracks and repaint it. It was the least I could do for Adam after he ventured miles outside of his comfort zone to bring me home. After he saved me from that… rapist. A shudder ran up my spine and, for a moment, I wondered why everyone had to look at me like I was some sort of sexual play thing.

I'd been home for nearly two and a half, possibly three weeks and every day since the first day I started putting the library back together, I went to the statue between lunch and dinner. Adam often asked me what I was doing, but I just told him he would have to wait until I was done with my project to find out. He'd often pout and he would try to get the answer out of me but I was stubborn. Taking care of five little brothers and sisters tended to do that to someone. Sorry Adam, you're kind of screwed in that department for the rest of your life.

When I walked into the library today, I was caught off guard by how much of the statue I had actually put together. It was almost done, after nearly three weeks of working on it… I only had several pieces left to place and, as hard as it was with my pathetic build and the height of the statue, I got them into place and I secured them with a type of cement hold sculptors used for their work. The statue wasn't quite as beautiful as it had been but I hadn't smoothed the cracks out or painted it yet. I was determined to restore it back to what is had looked like before I destroyed it…

I'd spent a little over an hour smoothing out cracks with, well, I honestly didn't know what it was but the person who sold it to me even showed me how well it worked on stone. It was like sandpaper, almost, but it was stronger. I was hoping to get all of the cracks out today so tomorrow I could begin painting it, but there was a knock at the door and I jump about seven feet into the air. I heard the door crack open and I quickly rushed to it, pushing it closed again. I thought I locked it…

"What?" I asked, frowning slightly.

Adam chuckled on the other side of the door. "Come on, Baby, let me in, please?" he asked, pushing on the door again. If he really wanted to, he could have pushed it open even with me standing on the other side, but he probably didn't want to risk hurting me.

"No… I'm not done yet…" I said to the door. Adam sighed softly and I could almost hear the pout in his voice.

"Fine, then take a break and come for a walk with me, please?" he asked. I didn't really want to take a break… I wanted to get the rest of the cracks out so I could paint the statue and show it to Adam. I was proud of my work and I just wanted to finish it… But I also didn't want to deny Adam something as simple as a walk. Honestly, it sounded extremely nice.

"Alright, but get away from the door. I'm not letting you in yet and you _promised_ you'd stay out until I was done," I said. He laughed on the other side of the door and I heard him take several steps away from the library before I opened the door just enough for me to slip out before closing the door again.

Adam raised an eyebrow at me. "What is all over you?" he asked and I looked down at myself. I was covered in dust from sanding down the statue and I sighed, quickly wiping myself off. He laughed again and came over to me, shaking the dust that had settled in my hair. Thankfully, Tommy cut it for me a couple days after we'd gotten back and it was just about the length it had been when I first came here. It hung lazily it it's lopsided ponytail. I had to admit, I didn't like it in a regular ponytail. That was just too average and too… boring.

"Nothing," I told him, wiping myself off until I thought I was decent. He just rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me tightly against him as we walked.

"When are you going to let me back in there?" he asked, a clear pout painted on his lips. "I want to see what you're working on."

"I told you, when it's finished," I said, leaning into him. "Just give me a few more days. It should be done soon." We walked at a reasonable, but not rushed pace down several corridors before I finally couldn't figure out where we were going. "Adam?"

"I have a few things I want to show you," he told me, his arm tightening ever so slightly. I sighed softly, leaning into him as much as I could without relying on him to keep me upright. "And no, I'm not going to tell you what they are. They're surprises and you can wait until we get there." I pouted but he only kissed my pouting lips. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Boo?" Despite him not telling me where we were going, I smiled. I loved his new found nickname for me. It was a lot cuter than "baby" in my opinion.

"Fine," I told him, smiling a little simply because I couldn't hold the pout any longer. Adam just shook his head, smirking down at me as we walked. He took me towards the back end of the palace, I realized. It was a portion I didn't go to often, but many of the rooms back here had wide, open windows to overlook the beautiful gardens arranged behind the palace.

For a while, I was confused and even more so when we stopped at a set of double doors. Adam put his hands over my eyes before I could read what the hieroglyphs on the door said. He pushed the door open and lead me inside, taking me to what I could only assume was the middle of the room. "When we got back a couple weeks ago, I decided this was something I just needed to do for you. The floor of your bedroom wasn't cutting it," he said, although I wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about.

He pulled his hands away from my eyes and he stepped in front of me, grinning. I was standing in the middle of a large, circular room. I wondered how difficult it was to built a circle out of stone, but it was wonderful. The curve opposite the door was just a giant window overlooking the gardens, as I assumed. I blinked, turning to look around the room. There were cabinets lined up, custom built to fit the curve of the walls and I walked over to one of them, pulling it open to find it stoked with a billion colors of paint. Other cabinets had coloring pencils, drawing pencils, sketch pads, paint brushes and even instruments used for sculpting. Next to the window sat a long bench with the Eye of Horus and wings engraved into it. The top opened up for even more storage but it also gave a person a nice place to sit to overlook the gardens. Next to the bench there were canvases, maybe ten or fifteen stacked up from smallest to biggest, leaning against the wall.

The studio was beautifully designed with one thing that was familiar to me. Above the sink placed into one of the cabinets, (lets face it, artists needed water for a lot of things) the first painting I did of the sky and the birds was hanging. The rest of the walls were just begging to be painted on, and I would paint them soon enough, but right now I was simply in tears.

"Adam…" I whispered, turning back to him. He was standing next to a couple of easels that were set up in the center of the room and I realized then, that the floor was painted with the same tattoos that covered my back with one extra promise right above the eye. _"Love."_ He smiled at me, holding his arms out to me.

"Do you like it?" he asked as I folded myself into his arms, wrapping my own around his neck.

"This is amazing…" I whispered, leaning up to kiss him. He moaned quietly, his tongue lashing out to taste mine for only a moment before he pulled back. I whined softly but he just chuckled and took me into one arm, pulling me over towards the window. "Adam?"

"This over here," he said, walking to the section were the large window met the stone wall. "This is a door out to the gardens, it just doesn't look like one," he said, pushing the glass out and, to my amazement it did swing open. "There is one more thing out here that I'd like to show you." I blinked, wondering what more I could ever want Adam to give me, but I followed him anyway.

He took me several meters away from the window and stood next to a beautiful, mini-landscape. There was a small round fountain with a statue of a small girl, holding what looked like a kitten in his lap, a bright smile stretched across her boyish face. The closer I got to the fountain, the clearer I saw that that statue was Anna. Around the fountain were beautiful roses of every color and small hedges, marking this part of the garden as Anna's.

I sat on the edge of the fountain, staring at the stone face of my sister and new tears sprung up into my eyes. Adam walked over to me after a moment, sitting next to me on the edge. "I thought this would be hard to hide from you until you were done, but… since you've been off every day doing whatever you don't want me to see, it was easy to put together without you seeing it," he told me, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me close.

"This is beautiful, Adam…" I told him, but my tears started falling. He wiped them away carefully, kissing my hair.

"I know how much she meant to you. I thought she deserved to be remembered in a happier place. What is more gleeful and innocent than a garden?" he asked. Well, some naughty things could take place in gardens, but I wouldn't mention that. He was right, for the most part and building a memorial to Anna here was perfect… She deserved the beauty the garden had to offer.

I leaned into the older man, trying to will myself to stop crying, but I couldn't. The statue just made Anna look so happy, just like she always did in life, even when things weren't going to great. It looked just like here and somehow, Adam knew about her love for small animals. Maybe he'd just gotten lucky on that part, but the statue in the fountain was perfect. The entire set up was perfect… "Thank you, Adam…" I whispered, turning my face into his chest.

He held me tightly, running his fingers threw my bangs to push them out of my face. "You're welcome, boo. She deserved to be remembered by everyone, not just you. I had originally planned on turning your old room into a memorial for her, but I knew going back there would just be too painful for you. I had your things taken out of that room and moved to my own," he explained. Now that I had been back, aside from the nights I spent with Tommy, I lived in Adam's room. We shared it, as if it had always been half mine. "The room will probably be used for storage, but I had the blankets and mattress burned…" _Just like the rug…_ I added for him in my mind.

"This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me… and for Anna," I whispered into the pharaoh's chest, crying despite not wanting to. He rubbed my back, holding me tightly.

"I wanted you to be able to visit her any time you wanted to… Talk to her if you wanted. I know she was more like your daughter than your sister…" he whispered softly. I bit my lip. He had built Alexander's statue for the same reasons, but now I knew I couldn't wait a few more days to show Adam the statue…

I leaned up, pressing a gentle, sweet kiss to his lips. "I want to show you what I've been working on, just… remember it isn't done yet, okay?" Adam blinked, clearly shocked, but he nodded as I stood, taking his large hands into my own. I pulled him up and we went back inside, through my new art studio with the perfect view of Anna's memorial.

The walk back to the library was faster than the walk to the studio. After seeing Anna's memorial, I wanted desperately to show Adam that I was trying to do the same thing for Alexander… I took him into the freshly restored library, requesting him to keep his eyes closed until I told him he could open them. I took him to the center of the library, where the newly reformed statue stood.

"Open them, Adam," I told him and he did, blinking once at the whiteness of the marble statue. It stood at it's full height, the peacock standing proudly in the ring just as if had before. The cracks I had managed to get out made it look better, but I still had several to smooth over… Regardless, it took my breathe away because when I began putting it back together, I never imagined I could make it look so much like he originally did.

Adam's jaw dropped and he stepped forward, carefully putting his hand on the ring. He stared up at it, clearly confused. "How did you do this?" he asked, turning back to me. "All by yourself? Did you really piece this back together from that pile of rubble?"

"Yeah… I felt horrible for destroying it when I really shouldn't have…" I admitted, walking up next to him. "It doesn't really make any sense but when I found out about the statue, I felt like… Alexander let Brad hurt me so badly. It wasn't rational but it fueled my anger, along with Brad telling me you talked to it and sang to it like he was still here… I can't explain why it upset me. Now I can't really understand it at all, but in that rage, it made perfect sense to me. When I came in here after we got back, I felt like I had to fix the library and the statue too…"

"This is what you've been doing every day? Trying to fix Alexander's memory for me?" he asked. It was his turn for tears to seep into his eyes. I simply nodded,

"Yeah. I don't want to be jealous of someone I don't even know. I don't want to be jealous of someone who isn't here to defend himself…" I whispered. "When I went to see Brad, I thought that confronting him before he died would make me feel _better_ not… Not so jealous of someone you loved before I was part of your life. I overreacted but at the time I just felt unloved…"

Adam turned to me, taking my face into his hands. "Drake, I hope you won't ever doubt the fact that I love you again," he whispered, leaning in to kiss me gently. Our mouths worked with each other for quite some time before we pulled back, breathless. We might have been turned on if the situation wasn't so serious, but since it was, that sort of passion would just have to wait until after dinner, I assumed. "This means so much to me, but you didn't have to do it."

"I wasn't ever going to feel better unless I did do it, Adam," I told him. "I can't deny you visiting someone who meant so much to you. I wanted to wait to show you this until I finished smoothing it out and repainting it, but when you showed me Anna's memorial I just… I couldn't wait the extra days. Just promise me you'll still act surprised when I do finish it?"

He grinned and I knew his tears were happy ones. "Anything for you, my love," he said and I blushed lightly. We kissed again, simply holding each other. I opened my eyes for just a moment to look at the statue and I could have sworn I saw him. _A man about Adam's age, with my face and my hair standing off to the side with a soft, dazzling smile on his face as he watched Adam kiss me._

 _His blue eyes met mine for just a moment and he smiled, nodding his head at me as if to say "thank you"._


	56. Chapter 56

Pretty sure I had the odds this time around, and my collaborator had the evens.

* * *

 **Dalila Runihura**

 **Chapter One: Forget About The World, Cause It's Gon' Be Me And You Tonight**

 **Adam's POV**

I pressed a kiss to his neck, gentle and soft. Like a caress of a feather against his warm flesh. He shivered lightly, a smile pulling at his thin lips as his fingers dove into my hair. He tugged on the inky locks, ripping a moan from my throat as my tongue licked a patch of skin just along the underside of his jaw. He tasted like vanilla and sweat; like himself.

My fingers slid down his sides, along his ribs, resting at the waistband of his trousers. My tongue licked and teased the side of his throat, causing him to moan and tremble beneath my touch as his hands tightened in my hair. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths as I pulled on his trousers, tugging them down around his thighs before tossing them off of the side of the bed. They fell with a soft _thump_ of cloth hitting stone before the room fell silent again. He was naked beneath me, but this wasn't the first time.

Drake had been my lover for three years now; tonight was his twenty-first birthday. I wanted to make it special for him. Sure, I'd made his previous two birthdays with me special, but this was different. I had something in mind that I'd never done before. I'd considered it for the past year before deciding that tonight would be the best night to give it to him. Tonight would be perfect.

My lips left a feather light kiss to his chest as my fingers massaged into his hips, right over the inkings of "lover" that were tattooed into his skin. Drake sighed softly, running his fingers through my hair as I dipped my head, kissing his stomach gently. He smiled, chucking quietly as I licked the flat surface of his skin, cleaning him of the sweat that had gathered there. Most nights it was cool or cold, but tonight it was warm, but that could've been fault of our hours of touching, kissing and teasing. He giggled, curling away from my tongue for a brief moment. I laughed, kissing just below his belly-button.

"Adam," he muttered gently, pulling on my hair enough to lift my head. I smiled at him, crawling back up along his body to leave a kiss on his lips. He moaned, his fingers tangled into the hair on the back of my head as I cupped his face in my palms, his tongue tasting mine as it pushed into my mouth. I moaned quietly, my eyes slipping shut as my tongue teased his, sliding over and under it before I pulled away.

Drake whined at the loss and I smirked, kissing his cheek, "Patience, baby…" I told him, my words just under a soft breath that ghosted itself along his skin. He whined again, his lips curling into a pout. I chuckled, gently kissing him again. He smiled against my mouth as I reached up, pulling his hands from my hair. I pulled away from his lips, licking his cheek lightly as I shifted a little lower down his body. My fingers trailed against the curves of his thighs, making him shiver.

A soft giggle fell off of his tongue as my hands pushed his legs apart, my fingers running along the insides of his thighs. The scars that Brad had left behind were fading away. Thin white lines that were barely poking out of his skin. I swallowed a lump in my throat, pushing the memory away before kissing Drake's stomach and chest again as my palms rested on his thighs. He shivered gently, dragging his fingers through my hair again.

I kissed his stomach once more, my hands moving inward on his skin. Drake inhaled slowly as I slid up his body, pressing my lips to his throat as I pushed two fingers inside of him. Drake's back lifted off of the bed in an arch and he gasped, tightening around my fingers ever so slightly. I nipped the skin of his neck lightly, earning another soft gasp as I moved my fingers inside of him. Drake wasn't one to want a whole lot of prep, but I did it anyway just to get him into the mood. Not to mention, I was bigger than he would sometimes give me credit for, and I hated hurting him, even if he told me he loved it.

"Adam…" Drake moaned softly as I worked him open, using only two fingers. His jaw was slack with a gasp and his eyes were closed, a blush flaming across his face. I smiled softly, trembles of ecstasy rolling down my spine. I kissed his jaw, scissoring him delicately, shivering at the sound of his moans. I bit down on my bottom lip, pushing my fingers father into him, nudging that spot that forced him to arch again, his hands clenching the sheets of the bed.

"Oh, fuck…" He gasped, his eyes screwed shut with pleasure. I chewed on my bottom lip, pulling my fingers out of him for a moment. Drake whined as I crawled across the bed, sliding off long enough to pull my own trousers off and reach under the bed for the small bottle of lotion that I kept for things like this.

I glanced over my shoulder to Drake, seeing him pushing himself up onto his elbows. I stared at his position for a moment before smiling, pulling myself back up onto the bed and crawling over to him. I pressed a kiss to his lips, stealing a moan from his throat and returning it with love, my palm cupping his cheek delicately. Drake's tongue teased my lower lip, but I pushed past and slid my own into his mouth, tasting the inside of his left cheek before slipping away.

"Baby.." He whined and I laughed, kissing him again, nudging the bottle of lotion into his hand. He glanced down at it, another blush spreading like fire across his skin. Despite the fact that I'd taken him in just about every position possible and made him scream my name some nights, he still got embarrassed about the littlest things.

"Come on, love," I whispered in his ear, breathing hot and heavy against the shell. He trembled his fingers curling around the bottle before he uncapped it, squeezing the lotion onto his fingers. I bit down on my bottom lip, my hand coming up to palm his cheek before sliding into his hair. He shifted, sitting on his knees as I pressed my forehead to his, feeling his lotion-slicked fingers curling around my erection. I gasped, moaning and letting my eyes slide shut.

Drake's artistic fingers were long, elegant and worn at the tips from holding paintbrushes and sculpting. They weren't like Tommy's, which were calloused from playing guitar, but they had their own stiffness to the pads. Trembles shot up and down my spine, curling around the ball of pleasure in the base of my spine and making it ache for a few, short moments. I moaned, breathing hard as Drake kissed and nipped my neck. I tensed as he pulled on my member, my body shaking.

"D-Drake…" I gasped, burying half of my face into his chocolate brown hair, inhaling the smell of vanilla. Drake's fingers tightened, his wrist twisting and turning, his thumb swiping over the slit. I arched, panting softly, feeling the tension coil in my stomach. Despite the pleasure, I didn't want to come… I wanted to release inside of Drake, not on his hands. But he showed no motive to stop.

"Baby…" I whimpered, my hand tightening in his hair as he licked a strip of skin below my ear, his teeth hooking into my lobe, sucking on it. I gasped, whining quietly as I clenched my eyes shut, my body tensing again as his fingers tightened around me more. "Drake… I.. I— baby, please.." I groaned, arching into his touch, my hips thrusting to meet his hand.

"Come on, Adam… Come for me." He said, his voice demanding yet sweet. I gasped, whining as I thrust up into his touch again, crying out softly as I came. White flashed over my vision and I panted lightly, shaking as all senses of thought, sight and hearing left me for a few short moments. I swallowed the dry lump in my throat, coming off of my high. I pressed my forehead to Drake's again, breathing hard as I opened my eyes.

"Baby, I—" I began to say, but when I opened my eyes and pulled away, I found Drake dragging his fingers through the come that had splattered on his stomach. He raised his hand, running the tips of his fingers on his tongue, his eyes locked on mine. I couldn't breathe; his eyes were dazed with lust and heated want, his lower lip glistening with my seed. His cheeks were flamed with a blush and he looked like he was ready to devour my soul and fuck it senselessly.

I felt a twitch in my member and I knew I was getting hard again. But I couldn't look away from Drake. I watched him as he dipped his fingers into the white on his skin, cleaning himself, his eyes staring deep into me the entire time. But he left the touch of my release on his lips, acting as if it was a stain of makeup and not my love. I moaned as he finished cleaning himself.

His hand reached out, curling over my shoulder as he pushed me down onto my back. He climbed over me, straddling my hips but keeping himself above my member so as not to tempt me to do anything. He bent his head down, kissing my collarbone before licking a nipple. I gasped, arching slightly. Drake knew me better than most, especially when it came to my body. It didn't take him long to figure out that touching, twisting, pinching and licking my nipples drove me insane. Almost as much as pulling on my hair.. Maybe more so.

"Fuck, Drake…" I groaned, my eyes slipping shut as I felt another twitch of my member. It wouldn't be long for me to get completely hard again, for Drake was making sure of that himself. His tongue swirled and teased the brown bud before his teeth hooked around it, and he sucked. I gasped, whining and running my fingers into his hair again. He moaned when I pulled on it, coming down enough that my member wasn't pressing up into him, yet, but I was able to grind up against him.

"Baby, please… I.. I need you. I need.." I moaned, biting down on my bottom lip as he pulled away from my nipple. A gust of cold air washed over the split-slicked bud and I moaned quietly. Drake's eyes were dark with need and he smirked, leaning close to my ear.

"Then take me, Adam. _Get. In. Me._ " He hissed gently, licking my earlobe, grinding his ass over my member again. I reached forward, grabbing his hips, my thumbs just below the last hieroglyphics that were tattooed into his skin. I pushed him up enough to reposition his body before bringing him down slowly upon my member. Drake's eyes slid shut for a moment, his jaw dropping in a soft cry as I slid up into him, sheathing myself completely.

Drake's back was arched into a delicate curve, his hands palmed over mine as I rocked my hips up into his. His hair swished around his face, hanging like dark curtains to the color of his skin. In the years of living in my palace, Drake would often venture out to the gardens for inspiration and, thus, got tanned in the process. But I could still remember when he was first brought to me, how pale he'd been with dirt on his cheek…

"Fuck, Adam…" He groaned quietly, moving his hips to meet my thrusts. I gasped softly, rocking up into him again. He tightened around my member as I shoved up again and I grunted loudly, breathing hard.

"Kinky little bitch," I mumbled and Drake laughed before falling into a moan. He tilted his head forward, eyes closed in pleasure, mouth open in a breath. I stared up at his face for a moment before letting my eyes fall shut. Of all the positions Drake and I had been in when we made love, this was, by far, our favorite. It allowed for deep penetration, maximum pleasure. Not to mention, this was the position we'd been in when he gave me his virginity three years ago…

"You like it, baby," he groaned in response, tightening around me again. I thrust up into that spot, forcing a loud cry from his lips. I trembled, moaning as I gripped his hips tighter, the tattoos standing out almost like black against white.

"You know I fucking do… _Fuck!_ " I shouted, feeling pangs of pleasure pounding into my body. Drake's body arched with tension as I rocked up into him again. For a moment I wanted to roll over and switch the roles. I wanted to let Drake pound mercilessly into me. It'd been years since I let someone take me the way I'd taken my boys. Years… I missed the feeling of being filled, being fucked. But I couldn't force myself to pull out and let Drake fuck me. Maybe another night, I would…

"Yes… Mm, Adam.." Drake gasped, whining, "More, more… Harder…" I groaned, pushing up harder, faster than before. Drake cried out, moaning in heat, one of his hands falling away from mine to curl around his own throbbing member. I choked on a breath, watching his hand moving fluidly, twisting and curling around his erection as he stroked himself in time with my thrusts. I moaned, my eyes fluttering softly, but not fully closing.

"Baby… Fuck.." I hissed, clenching him tighter thrusting harder into him. The second ball of tension was curling in my stomach and I was close to my release for the second time to tonight. Drake whined, trembling over me, his body tight around my member. My eyes slid closed and I gasped, panting hard as I thrust up into him as fast and as deep as I could. Drake's whines were growing louder, more into cries than anything.

"Aah… Adam… Mm, Ada-aahh!" Drake cried, gasping and shaking, "fuck, Adam, I— I—! A- _Adam!_ " He screamed, releasing onto his hand, stomach and chest, and even on me as I rocked up into him again, coming undone deep inside of him. I moaned, feeling him tremble once before he collapsed onto my chest, smearing his release onto my skin.

Panting, I eased myself out of him before wrapping my arms around his waist, gently kissing his jaw. Drake was gasping for breath, moaning quietly as he shivered. I smiled, grabbing the corner of the sheet, pressing it to his chest and cleaning himself off before wiping myself down. I tossed the corner away, uncaring at the moment as I kissed Drake's lips, tender and sweet. He moaned into my touch, shaking fingers caressing my cheek.

My heart was pounding in my chest, but there was something I needed to ask him. I was exhausted from making love to him, but the nervousness that was building up in my throat kept me aware. It gave me the surges of adrenaline I needed to fuel my words. I pulled away from his lips, earning a quiet whine as I palmed his face, "Drake?" I whispered. His eyes fluttered softly, exhaustion on his face, but he smiled, turning to kiss my palm.

"Yes, my love?" He replied. My heart skipped a beat and I blushed, kissing him again.

"I… I want to ask you something… A-and, if you're not ready, then you can deny me. I won't stop you, and you know that." I told him, my voice calm and stern despite the soft stutter that I had. Drake's eyes widened slightly and he was more aware now than he was just ten seconds ago. His eyes searched mine for what I wanted to ask, but I knew he would never find it.

"You know I will never deny you anything, Adam. Whatever you ask of me, it's yours. _I'm_ yours." He whispered, ghosting a kiss to my lips. I moaned, smiling softly as I caressed his cheek with my thumb.

"I know that, love. But, still… If you're, truly, not ready, then it is alright if you deny. I will not hold it against you in the least." I told him, my eyes wavering back and forth between his. He stared at me for a moment before nodding once, urging me to continue. I inhaled slowly through my mouth, continuing to caress his cheek with my thumb.

"Since Alexander died, I thought I would never love again, but.. you proved me wrong of that Drake. You took a hold of my broken, mourning heart, and you pieced it back together like you pieced his statue back together. You mended it. Healed it. And, all the same, you tied it to yours and stole it from my chest. You _own_ my heart, Drake…

"Everyone knows that you're mine. They see it with the tattoos on your hips. But I want more… I want the Gods to know that you're mine, even when the Afterlife claims us, whenever that will be." I said. Drake's eyes were glistening with tears and he was smiling softly.

"Boo… I love you. I love you more than life itself, and I want everyone— alive and deceased— to know that. Drake…" I inhaled slowly, leaning up and kissing him again before whispering the words against his lips, "Will you marry me?"


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter Two: I Promise, I'll Do Everything That I Have To  
Drake's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, I almost thought I had dreamed it, but looking at Adam's bright smile told me I hadn't. "Morning, Boo," he whispered, leaning over to press his lips to mine. I moaned, kissing him back softly, innocently. I may not have been innocent anymore but I definitely knew how to fake it. I could still pull it off quite nicely. Adam always appreciated that. He told me that sometimes it was just like our first time again.

Then there were times like last night where he calls me a kinky bitch and innocent is the last thing anyone would ever accuse me of. Yeah, I straddle both sides of the street… "Morning," I said, smiling over at him. Adam told me I could deny him but why would I ever want to deny marrying him? I'd never really thought about marriage before. Adam didn't seem too interested in it before, so it really didn't cross my mine. I was just happy to be Adam's. I was content and living a life I never thought I would achieve.

But then he asked me to marry him and I realized just how badly I wanted that… I wanted everyone, not just the people who saw me on a daily basis, to know that I had completely given myself to Adam and, in turn, he had given himself to me. Even if I was only twenty-one, I had stolen the Pharaoh of Egypt's heart. He told me so himself, last night while he was purposing.

 _Engaged._

I truly couldn't believe it. I mean, he and Alexander had been together for seven years and Adam never asked for his hand in marriage. I wondered if Adam was going to get in contact with my mother to ask for her permission. I wanted to know if he was going to be classy and do it the old fashioned way or if he was just going to marry me because I said yes last night (come on, who would say no to him?). I asked him while we were falling asleep last night, what he was planning, but he told me not to worry about it. That he was going to take care of everything and it would be the wedding of my dreams.

To be honest, I really didn't know what the wedding of my dreams was. I always thought that by the time I was twenty, my mother would marry me off to a girl best suited for our family and we would be having children in a few months after our wedding. If I could perform with her, that is… But with Adam, I didn't have to worry about anything I was worrying about when I lived at home. He took good care of me. I didn't have to work, but I helped out around the palace anyway, just to make myself feel useful. Sometimes Adam asked me for legal advice and I would just laugh, tell him my honest opinion and go back to doing something that actually held my interest.

I used my art studio a lot. The walls of that room where completely covered in murals now and many of my own canvases hung around the palace, displaying my art. I got into sculpting a lot too, but those took a lot more time then painting, so there weren't as many of those. I visited Anna's memorial all the time and I spent the rest of my time with Adam or Tommy, or both of them.

One thing that was never an issue was children, but I often wondered what Adam was going to do about having children. He needed to have a son to inherit his crown once he was either too old to run the country, or Ra forbid, he passed away. Adam was, by no means old but if he didn't do something about a child within the next few years, he would be getting into his sixties before the child was old enough to take over.

Sometimes it was really hard to believe that Adam was thirteen years older than me, but he was. For some reason, it didn't bother me at all. In fact, it seemed almost right. I always assumed I would be older than my wife but to be so much younger seemed like the place I needed to be at, even if it did make Adam look like a cradle robber (totally and completely laughing at myself right now).

I wanted to ask Adam about children, but it was going to be an awkward and possibly upsetting conversation, so I kept putting it off. "What's on your agenda for today, Love?" he asked me, smiling and kissing me on the lips again. I sighed softly, kissing him back for a brief moment before I broke away to speak.

"Probably spent some time with Tommy while you are at your boring ass meeting," I said and he just laughed softly, shaking his head. "Why?"

"I'm meeting with the wedding planner before dinner and I want you to be there. It's our wedding and I want you to love it just as much as I do, so I need you there with me," he said. I blushed softly but as to why, I couldn't tell you. "We're meeting him in the gardens around four, can you make that?"

"Of course, Adam. I'll be there," I told him. He pecked my lips again before getting out of bed.

He walked over to his wardrobe to get some fresh clothing before he turned back to me. "I'm sorry I have to run out on you so soon, but you slept pretty late. It's almost noon," he told me. I just smirked at him, standing from the bed and, of course, being mindful of the dull ache in my backside. No matter how many times I've been intimate with Adam, it was something I never quite got used to. He always left me a little sore, but I would be lying if I told you I didn't love what he did to me.

"Sorry, this kinky little bitch needs his sleep, you know. If you expect me to be good in the bedroom every night," I said, smirking at him and he just grinned. I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my body up against his. "Besides, I was having really good dreams that I didn't want to wake up from…" I added, pouting.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Oh really? What might those dreams be, exactly?" he asked, pressing his forehead to mine.

I blushed softly. "The endless hours of lovemaking on our wedding night," I told him, kissing his neck softly. He moaned and pulled away from me, probably to keep himself from getting turned on again. Apparently that boring ass meeting he had today was really important and he couldn't afford to be late. "But we can talk about that later. You go get cleaned up and then go to your meeting so you can save the world, or whatever it is you are doing," I said, laughing softly.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he walked to the bathroom to clean up. I quickly got dressed and went down to Tommy's room, knocking lightly on the door before just walking in. Tommy was still asleep with one arm tossed over his eyes. I chuckled, walking over to the blond before shaking him gently. "Tommy?"

"Huh, what?" he asked groggily, his arm lifting from his eyes and he squinted up at me. "Oh, hey Drake… Happy day after your birthday. Judging by that big grin on your face, I'm guessing you had a good night?" I blushed softly, nodding once in agreement.

"You could make my morning good, too, if you'll come take a bath with me. Pretty please?" I asked, pouting my lips. I quickly learned that when I pouted at Adam or Tommy, even Cassidy most of the time, I got whatever I wanted. They just couldn't say no to the perfect pout.

"Alright baby, whatever you want," he said, sitting up to give me a peck on the lips. I smiled, taking his hands into mine and pulling him from his bed. I may have been small, but I had gained a decent amount of muscle since I was first brought here. "You need one those. Ra, you smell like Adam's sex."

"I suppose I would, huh?" I asked, blushing softly. I took Tommy out the door and across the hall to the bathroom that we still often shared. I lived in Adam's room now and Tommy was usually with us, but Tommy and I came to take baths here just because we were comfortable with it. As perverted as it sounds, we had a lot of good memories in that bathtub.

Tommy turned the water on, letting the large tub fill with water as I stripped first myself and then him. He half jumped into the tub together, coming up soaked and in a fit of giggles. When they faded, Tommy pulled me into his arms so my chest was flat against his back. We often did this when he bathed together. It allowed for intimacy with easy access to washing. "So what did Adam give you for your birthday? He refused to tell me what it was, said it was super top secret," he said. He took a bar of soap into his hands, dipping it into the water before running it across my chest and stomach.

I leaned back into his touch with a happy sigh of content. A light blush flamed across my cheeks but I simply ignored it. "He…" I smiled happily, my head falling back against Tommy's left shoulder. "Tommy, I can't believe it, but he asked me to marry him!" I said, sounding a little excited. I was probably overly excited, but how could I not be? The love of my life finally asked me to marry him!

Tommy's hands froze for a moment and I frowned, wondering if the news had upset him. Tommy loved me and… I knew that. I knew that more than anyone else. I loved him too, dearly but my heart was Adam's and I couldn't change that. I looked up at him but he was just smiling. "That's fantastic, baby!" he said, sounding nothing but happy for me. Perhaps he truly was happy for me, but I doubted that was completely true. Surely he was jealous, even if only part of him was. "Are you excited?" he asked me, his hands finishing with my stomach and slipping down my thighs.

"I'm really excited! Until last night, I didn't even really think of marriage at all. I was always content to be with Adam and just be in love with him but when he asked me… I don't know, my heart just stopped for a few minutes and all I could do was stare at him," I said, shivering as his hands began climbing back up my inner thighs. "I think he thought I didn't want to accept at first but I was really just speechless."

Tommy's hands reached my groin and I moaned out, arching into his touch. I knew he wasn't really intent on cleaning me anymore. Our baths often lead to inappropriate touching. Adam knew about and, surprisingly he didn't mind it. Tommy joined us in bed all the time, why would this be any different? We didn't have like a secret fling or anything. "When will the wedding be, do you know?" he asked, stroking me into stiffness.

I moaned, biting my lower lip. "I'm not entirely sure…. Adam and I are meeting with a wedding planner later today. Before dinner, I think. Maybe I'll find out then," I said, grunting as Tommy's fingers brushed over my slit. I set the soap outside of the tub and then went back to pleasing me.

"Well you be sure to let me know. You'll need to be beautiful for your wedding day," he said, gripping my erection tightly in his hands. He started pumping it, being sure to sweep his fingertips over the slit ever few moments. I arched away from him, forcing my hips up into his hands.

"Are you saying that I'm not always beautiful, Tommy?" I asked, smirking behind the forced pout. He chuckled, kissing my pouting lips and tugging harshly on my erection. I cried out, slamming my hips into his hold.

"You're always beautiful, but on your wedding day, you'll need to outshine the sun," he muttered into my neck. "And pull off an appearance of innocence. I'm sure everyone knows Adam's love isn't a virgin, but you should at least act like one before the Gods," he whispered, his fingers digging hard into my erection.

"You and Adam turned me into this sexual deviant, I hope you know," I responded and the blond smirked at me, rubbing the fingertip of his index finger over the silt of my member constantly. His other hand dropped down to my entrance, teasing it with light pushes and tracing around it. I whined, pushing down on his finger enough to get it into me about an inch. Tommy chuckled, wiggling his finger inside of me as he continued to toy with my slit. I groaned, rubbing back against him. "Tommy…" I whimpered, needing my release. One thing I could not stand is when people toyed with the slit of my erection. It drove me wild…

"Adam turned you into a sexual deviant. I'm not the one who needed to have another pleasure servant. I'm not the one who dreamed of having a virgin," he said, arguing his innocence.

Nice try Thomas, but it's not working. "But you love to touch me just as much as Adam does…" I whimpered, that coil of pleasure tightening behind the base of my erection. I was close and if Tommy kept fingering my slit and my entrance like this, I was going to explode.

"It's hard not to love it, Drake. You're just… too beautiful," he whispered, biting down on my earlobe. I cried out, finally coming undone into the water. I could feel Tommy's seed splatter against my back and ass before the water carried it away from my skin. "Too beautiful. You even made me orgasm without being touched or teased," he muttered causing a wild blush to fan across my cheeks.

I looked back at him, smiling as innocently as I could manage, but after something like that, it was hard to convince anyone you were innocent. "You make it sound like I'm some sort of sex god, put on this earth to drive everyone's sexual desires over the edge," I said and he smirked, tapping my nose with his index finger.

"Perhaps that is exactly what you are. Sent to us in the form of a virgin, only for us to realize that, by the time you clawed your way into our hearts, it was too late. Perhaps we all belong to you because you are a god," he suggested, laughing softly before kissing the base of my neck. I moaned, blushing hard.

"Well, now that you have figured out my deepest, darkest secret, don't tell anybody," I said, winking at him. "I'd have to smite you if you did. Nobody is supposed to know." He laughed, massaging my shoulder blades. The scars Brad had left in my thighs had almost completely faded, but on my back it was still more noticeable, even after fading. Where the scars were, there were gaps in the tattoo Adam had given me several weeks after first being here. I kept meaning to ask him about getting them filled in so they didn't look so bad…

"I won't tell a soul, I promise, but the pharaoh will find out sooner or later, you know. Probably why you've got such an intense control over the man," he whispered and we both just laughed. Being with Tommy never got boring, that was for sure. Today I was a god for Pete's sake! And no, I don't know who Pete is, so don't ask.

He turned me to face him and I took the soap so I could clean him. "I really want you to be a part of the wedding, Tommy… I know it might upset you a little but you are my best friend and I love you. I couldn't imagine you not being by my side on such an important day…" I said, trailing the soap over his finely toned chest.

He smiled at me, running his fingers through my wet hair. "I will be there, baby, I promise you I will. I wouldn't miss it for the world," he promised and my heart skipped several beats.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter Three: You're unbelievable, uh! So unbelievable, uh!**

 **Tommy's POV**

Of all the things in the world and in this life, the last thing I'd expected to hear come from Drake's lips was that he was getting married.

It didn't even stick, for a moment, when he first said it. Well, to be honest, it didn't stick at all, but I told him that it was amazing and I was happy for him. Really, I was, even if my heart was trembling in my chest and my throat decided to seal up on me for a few moments. Drake was so excited for this wedding that he was about to have. With Adam. I had to be happy for him. I had to be strong for him and just let go. I couldn't let my jealousy of Adam and my desire for Drake to be my lover put a damper on his happiness that he and Adam were sharing the final, ultimate, _eternal_ bond as lovers.

But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt.

And, of course, I promised him I would be there. Sure, Drake wasn't getting married to me, but that wasn't going to stop me from being there with him at his side as he married the King of all Egypt. That wasn't going to stop me from dressing and dolling him up like I had when he'd first been brought here, three years ago. Ra… That felt like an eternity and a half ago, but all the same, it felt like there was no time that passed at all. Just like a blink of an eye or a good night's sleep.

The knowledge that Drake was getting married didn't stop me from touching him, either. Drake and I were always intimate together when we were bathing. It couldn't be helped. Hands had to wander to clean and then it was just a matter of letting go and being consumed by pleasure. I would never claim Drake, but that didn't stop me from loving him as if he were mine. Besides, Adam was okay with it. He knew that we weren't having some kind of a romance behind his back. He knew we just kissed and touched. We didn't make love. That was his only request of our relationship (unless he requested us to fuck in front of him as a way of pleasing him, but that rarely happened, actually).

With Drake and myself all squeaky clean, I pulled myself from the tub and dried off, tucking a towel around my waist. Drake pulled himself out and I reached up on a shelf, plucking a towel down and, unfolding it, I dropped it on Drake's head. He giggled and I brought my hands up, massing his head and drying off his hair. His hands came up and covered mine, his artistic fingers curling and lacing between my calloused ones. I slid the towel down, letting it rest around his shoulders. His hair was sticking up and out around his face in a disarray, but it was cute. I smiled at him, dipping my head down and pressing my lips to his gently.

Sweet and chaste. How many kisses would I have left with him while he was just Drake? How long did I have until he became the Pharaoh's husband? Would things change after they got married? Would Adam tell me I couldn't be intimate with him anymore? Or would things still be the same despite Drake's status changing from pleasure servant to the Pharaoh's husband— his eternal love?

I tried not to think about it as I rested my forehead against Drake's, caressing his cheek with my fingers. His hands came up, cupping my face and he stood on his tiptoes slightly to kiss me again. I moaned softly, my tongue teasing along his bottom lip, pushing between his teeth and tasting the inside of his mouth before I pulled away, pecking his lips once more. Drake smiled up at me before turning to dry off and wrap his towel around his waist, much like I had done.

"May I borrow some of your clothes, Tommy? I forgot to grab some from mine and Adam's room before I came here and I don't really wanna walk through the halls of the palace wearing nothing but a towel," Drake chuckled and I just smiled, nodding once. I couldn't explain why he always asked. He knew that if he needed to borrow something, I was always more than willing to give him what he needed.

"Of course, Drake. You know, you, really, don't have to ask. You know, what's mine is yours?" I said with a laugh and Drake smiled shyly at me. Even after three years, the boy was still bashful about things. But he'd gotten better about it. He wasn't quite so innocent anymore…

"Right… I just.. I was raised to ask permission and things like that, and, even though this is my home here and there are different rules and expectations, I still tend to live by what I was taught." He said, a light blush fanning across his cheeks. I put an arm around his waist, pulling him close to my body as we walked across the hall towards our— my bedroom. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, smiling at him as I walked with him into the room. After getting used to saying that it was shared, I had to go back to saying it was only mine…

"You know where they are." I mumbled motioning to the wardrobe as I crossed to my bed, plopping down and throwing an arm over my eyes. I chewed on my bottom lip, forcing back the stings of tears that were threatening to well up in the ducts of my eyes. I couldn't cry. I couldn't. Not until, at least, Drake left. Until then I had to be happy for him. I had to be cheerful Tommy, because that was what he needed.

"You're not gonna get dressed?" Drake asked. I heard the shift of cloth falling and sliding over skin. I grunted softly, shrugging half-assed before rolling over. Drake sighed softly, his footsteps padding across the stone. The bed shifted, and Drake's palm slid over my shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Tommy?" He murmured. I turned my head, glancing over my shoulder at him, "what's wrong?" He asked. I bit down on my bottom lip, shaking my head slightly and smiling at him. But it felt forced, and, I guess, he noticed that, for his eyes narrowed slightly and his lips pursed themselves into a thin line.

"Don't lie to me, Tommy." He hissed gently, reaching up and running his fingers through my hair. I sighed softly, looking away from him. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me so that I was flat on my back, his hand massaging my scalp. I glanced over at him, seeing one of my dark blue shear shirts hanging off of his shoulders, a pair of blue shorts clinging to his hips. His tattoos decorated his arms and his hips, coloring his skin as beautifully as it had been when it was first done.

He sighed softly when I didn't answer, "It's about the wedding, isn't it?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle. I bit down on my bottom lip before sitting up. His hand slid from my hair and his arms wrapped around my waist. I leaned my head against his for a moment as he continued to speak, "Things won't change, Tommy, if that's what you're worried about. Adam isn't going to keep me locked up in his room or anything like that."

"I… I know, Drake. I do, but…" I trailed off, looking down at his arms, which were still linked around my waist. He squeezed me gently, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck.

"But you're still, just, worried?" He suggested and I nodded once.

"I mean… Don't get me wrong. I'm happy. I'm happy for you and Adam and I think you two are perfect for each other. But.. I don't know. Just… Of all the things that he could've given you for your birthday, he asked for your hand in marriage.." I turned my head to look over at him, staring into his bright blue eyes. "That's huge, Drake. It's amazing and I'm so happy for you, but… I don't know. I guess I, just, wasn't expecting him to bring something like that up." I shook my head. Drake leaned forward, pressing his lips to my cheek gently.

"I understand." He whispered against my skin, nuzzling the side of my neck. I smiled gently, leaning into him for a moment. "You should get dressed, honey." He suggested and I groaned softly. Drake's laughter filled the inner walls of my ears and I smiled brightly over at him. After three years, his laughter had never ceased to make me smile like I didn't have a care in the world.

"I don't wanna…" I grumbled, but Drake merely tugged me towards the edge of the bed, pulling me off and onto my feet. My towel was loose around my waist, barely hanging onto my skin.

"Too damn bad, Thomas." He commented, smirking at me before going to my wardrobe, pulling out a pair of green trousers and shear shirt, tossing them into my arms. I chuckled, setting them down on my bed before stripping of my towel. I dressed quickly, just pulling the shirt over my head when his arms snaked back around my hips and he pressed a kiss to my neck.

"See, was that so hard?" He questioned and I turned in his arms, running my fingers through his hair. His eyes were locked with mine, seeming to stare into my soul. I smirked, kissing him gently.

"Nope. But who says I did all that willingly? Maybe you used your powers and you're not telling me. Maybe you're controlling me…" I whispered, kissing him again. Drake moaned softly, his eyes slipping shut as his fingers tangled themselves into my hair. Much like him, I needed to get it cut. But I'd just been putting it off lately.

"Like I said, don't tell anyone. I'm not afraid to smite you down, baby." He joked and I blushed lightly.

"Define "smite", Drake," I teased, shoving my tongue into his mouth, kissing him hard. He moaned, pulling on my hair as I pushed him over to the wall of my room, pressing him flat against the surface. Drake whined softly, tugging on my hair and ripping a growl from my throat. Trembles ran down my spine as my tongue dominated over his, my hands wandering down his sides and up his back, nails digging into his skin.

Drake arched off the wall, moaning into my lips as I dragged my nails down his spine. He broke our kiss, howling softly as I nibbled and licked at the exposed highway of his neck, tasting the essence of him, savoring it. My tongue licked up along his throat, trailing back towards his left ear. My teeth hooked into the lobe, sucking gently on the skin. Drake giggled, moaning softly. I sucked harder, smirking around the skin as my hands traveled down to rest on his hips.

"Tommy…" He groaned softly as I went back to licking and kissing his neck. I knew better than to mark him unless Adam requested it, but there were some days where I just couldn't help myself.

"What do you know? An all powerful God bending to the will of a lowly little human man. Intriguing," I smirked and Drake's face went beet red for only a moment before he chuckled, leaning in close to my ear. His breath was hot and heavy against the shell of my cartilage, an occasional moan slipping its way out of his mouth. I felt my skin tighten, beginning to burn and my mouth dropped open slightly, a soft groan passing my lips.

"Maybe I'm just letting you think you have the satisfaction of bending me to your will. Maybe I've still got the upper hand," he breathed, lifting his knee and nudging my groin gently. I gasped, bucking into his touch slightly. I hadn't realized that kissing him like this had, well, gotten me hard again. Apparently it had…

"Yep, I've still got the upper hand," he smirked, kissing me once.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter Four: Come Together, Right Now, Over Me  
Adam's POV  
**  
Just as Drake had claimed, my meeting was extremely boring and it seemed to just drag on. Normally business and politics weren't the most enjoyable things but they were manageable. Today sitting through that meeting was like jogging through Hell with only one lung. It was probably because I was anxious to get away from the people discussing schools and new technology. We'd made some great advances over the last few years but we still needed to do more.

I'm not saying I didn't care about these issues. Of course I did, just not today. Not when, in just a few hours, I would be planning the wedding I always thought I would have had years ago with my beautiful bride-to-be. Well, Drake wasn't a bride because he wasn't a woman, but what other term would I use for him? I had to control my chuckling in the meeting. One slipped and Cassidy gave me a rueful look. He was a sweetheart most of the time, but sometimes, like when we were supposed to be serious, he was like stone.

Thankfully the people today were in an argument kind of mood. They were all arguing with each other and not paying one ounce of attention to me. That was excellent considering I had mostly been zoning out the entire time. Images of Drake on the day we would be married flooded my mind, not to mention all of the fine details that I was sure Drake's artist habits would make him extremely picky about. There was also the fact of his family. I had contacted them several days ago, asking them to come out for a visit.

Two of my guards had gone to retrieve them early this morning and would, hopefully, be returning with them right before dinner. Drake had no idea and his family really had no idea as to why I was bringing them out. The most important thing was to get permission from Drake's mother to take his hand in marriage. I would never imagine marrying him without her saying I was allowed. Sure, maybe it sounded stupid, but it was proper and it was just how things were done. There were a few more reasons to bring them out, witnessing the wedding being among them, but I wouldn't worry about the other details for right now. The most important thing now was to get through this wedding.

"Adam?" Cassidy said rather loudly, waving his hand in front of my face. I blinked, looking up at my adviser. "I hope whatever you're thinking about is important. It certainly has you distracted. Everyone left like five minutes ago and you didn't even realize it," he said, smirking a little. He obviously had a lot of satisfaction right now, considering he was the one playing attention to everything and the Pharaoh of Egypt was like the kid in the back of the class who always fell asleep in the middle of lecture.

"Oh, sorry Cass… I've just got a lot on my mind," I said, smiling apologetically. He chuckled, sitting down next to me as if to say ' _well then talk to me about it._ ' I sighed, shaking my head softly. "I asked Drake to marry me last night," I told him, a soft smile still playing at my lips.

He didn't look very shocked. I hadn't told anyone what I was planning because if it leaked back to Drake before I asked him, I was going to slap a bitch. "Really now? And I'm assuming that he said yes, because if he said no, you wouldn't be daydreaming with that giant grin on your face," he said, smirking again. He was enjoying this way too much, but I was in too good of a mood to even care in the slightest.

"Of course he said yes," I told him, rolling my eyes for emphasis. In truth, I was terrified of Drake refusing me, but after seeing the happiness in his eyes last night, I found it hard to figure out why had been so scared in the first place. "We're meeting with a wedding planner in, like, half an hour to start making plan. I feel light headed but I'm really excited about this…" That same, soft smile spread across my lips again.

"Did you contact his mother? Or do you not really care if she says yes or no?" he asked, resting one elbow against the table, his cheek resting against his curled hand.

"His mother and his little siblings are all on their way over. I sent to guards to escort them and last I heard, they were due to arrive at seven. As long as they make it on time, they will be joining us for dinner and I will be discussing things with his mother," I told him, smiling faintly. "I think I'm to offer to have them stay here permanently. We have more than enough room and it would make Drake so happy…"

"What if his mother doesn't like you?" he teased, laughing softly. I didn't find it quite so funny because, now that I was thinking about it, I realized it was a huge possibility. Drake had told me several times that, whenever he talked to his mother, he told her nothing but pleasant things about me. He told her how much he loved being here and he had even built up the courage to tell her that we were in love. I'm pretty sure he left out the whole sex servant thing though. That was definitely not something I wanted to share with the woman…

But, despite what Drake had told her, I was the man who took her baby away from her. I was the man who had his guards forcibly take Drake from his home to come work for me simply because his family was poor. For all I knew, she hated me, and the idea of Drake's family not liking me was way more than upsetting, to say the least.

What if she really did say no? What if she saw our marriage as a mistake because of, I don't know, our age difference or something? Sure, I wasn't really old yet, but eventually our age difference was going to show a great deal. I would surely pass away while Drake was still in extremely good health and… what if she only saw that? Would it matter that Drake was so happy with me now?

"Oh Ra, what if she doesn't?" I asked, blinking a few times. Cassidy frowned and reached out, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down, Adam, I was just teasing. Even if she didn't like you before, once she sees how happy you make her son, she will love you. That's all a parent ever wants, is for their children to grow up, be successful and find happiness. Drake has found his in you and in everything that he does here. You make him happy and she'll see that just by the way he smiles when he's around you," he said, smiling at me with that rare but beautiful smile of his. He leaned over, kissing my forehead gently. "Don't worry about that, I'm sorry I mentioned it," he said, chuckling against my skin. He was still having way too much fun with this.

"Thanks, Cass…" I muttered, rolling my eyes at him again. "Anyway, I should be going. I have to find Drake." I stood up, kissing Cassidy gently on the cheek. "I'll see you at dinner." He nodded, smiling at me as I left the room. I figured I would check Tommy's room to see if Drake was still there, but he wasn't and neither was Tommy. I checked the bathroom they always shared, but it was empty too, so I wondered exactly where they could have gone. Drake knew he needed to be in the gardens soon, so the only other place I could think of was his art studio.

I wasn't really shocked when I found him and Tommy in there. Drake was painting, no shocker there, and Tommy was watching him paint whatever it was he was painting. "Hey boo," I said, walking over to the easel he was standing at. He looked over at me, smiled and set his paintbrush down. It never failed though. Every time he painted, he got some smudged color on his cheek. Today it was green and, like every other day, it was adorable.

"Hey," he said, turning to me. How did he manage to get paint on his face but nowhere else? It amazed me, truly. I kissed his forehead gently and he blushed. Ra, he was so fucking adorable. Tommy stood from the stool he had been sitting on and he moved over towards the door muttering a soft ' _I'll give you guys some space, see you at dinner._ ' I was sure Drake told him about the wedding and I wondered how he felt about it. I knew he had feelings for Drake and, honestly, I felt bad about that but…

I'm not even going to go there, actually.

Tommy left the room silently and Drake's eyes followed him until the door shut before he looked back up at me. "Is he upset?" I asked.

Drake only shrugged some. "I don't really know… He seemed happy and then he seemed upset and when I asked him about it, he only said he was shocked that out of everything you could have given me for my birthday, you gave me that. I really… I really don't even know, honestly." I sighed softly, kissing his forehead gently again while taking his hands into my own.

"Well let's worry about that later. Right now we need to go speak with the wedding planner so we aren't late for dinner," I told him, lacing our fingers together. He smiled and we walked over to the window of his art studio, pushing the glass door set to the side open. It lead straight out to the gardens. Right in front of us was Anna's memorial. I knew Drake went to visit it a lot, but today was not one of those days.

I lead Drake towards the center of the garden where a large, elegantly sculpted fountain stood. It had been here long before I was Pharaoh and it would remain long after I moved into the Afterlife. A man somewhere between my age and Drake's age sat on the edge of the massive fountain, a large portfolio in his hands. He had long, light brown hair. Not anything close to Drake's chocolate locks, but still very pretty. He had a boyish face and green eyes. His skin was rather tanned, more like mine and he had glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

His eyes met mine and then Drake's and he smiled at us. "Hello, My Pharaoh and his soon to be… bride?" he asked, bowing his head in respect to both of us. I saw Drake's cheeks flame but if he was blushing at the respect the man showed him or the fact that he had just been called a bride, I wasn't entirely sure…

I laughed softly, sitting next to the man and pulling Drake down into my lap, my arms snaking around his waist to hold him against me. "Hello," I said to the man, resting my head against Drake's right shoulder. "I'm really thankful that you could make it out on such short notice. Drake and I are… eager to be married, to say the least."

The man smiled at us. "I'm assuming you'll want a traditional Pharaoh's wedding?" he asked, pulling a pen from behind his ear to start taking notes. We wouldn't be planning everything today, just the basics, but that was how we needed to start.

"Actually no. I have no married anyone else and I don't plan on marrying anyone besides Drake. A more common type wedding would be perfect for us. You know, just more extravagant," I said. The man looked shocked, but I couldn't really say I blamed him much. Pharaohs generally married several people over the course of their lifetime, holding three wives or maybe more. To learn that I only had intentions to marry one person throughout my lifetime was probably very shocking to a lot of people.

But not Drake. He smiled at me, snuggling back into my arms some. I couldn't imagine how Drake would feel if I ever tried to marry someone else. I knew I would be pissed at my husband if he decided to marry someone other than me while we were still married, so I definitely wasn't going to do that to Drake. Besides, I didn't love anyone but Drake, so why would I marry anyone else?

"Alright then, we'll just start with a few basic details and we'll continue in a few days, once I can come up with all the options for the space and size of the wedding you two want," the man said, scratching something onto the paper inside of his portfolio. Drake and I nodded in unison and he just smiled at us. "Do you both know where you actually want the wedding to be held?" he asked.

I glanced down at Drake, wondering if he had any ideas. He looked a little lost, honestly, like he didn't really have any idea where he would like to me wed. Perhaps he'd never thought of marriage until I asked him? But surely that couldn't be true… I mean, who didn't think of the perfect wedding with the person they loved? "Well…" I began, clearing my throat before continuing. "We both love the garden," I told him. Drake's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "We spend a lot of time out here." Drake and I came out here a lot to either gaze up at the stars and just cuddle, or to visit Anna. Drake usually went to see her alone, but sometimes he asked me to go with him and I was always more than happy to comply. He came out here by himself a lot too because it inspired his artist nature. A few of the statues in the garden were sculpted by him over the last few years, even.

"I think a wedding out here would be wonderful…" Drake whispered, his eyes glassing over as if he were imagining the wedding already. Perhaps now he would be able to sculpt in his mind exactly the kind of wedding he would want just from the starting place.

The planner smiled lightly. "If you're going to have one out here, the center would probably be the best place. It's got a big enough space to hold a decent amount of people. A really large wedding wouldn't fit here though. You wouldn't be able to invite hundreds of people," he said, writing a few more things down on his paper.

"We don't want a huge wedding. Not everyone needs to witness it to know that we are giving ourselves to each other," I said, kissing Drake's cheek gently. He blushed again but he nodded. We discussed a few other basics and then made another date to discuss the finer details. We would be meeting, same place, next week. Once the man had said his goodbyes, I held Drake tightly in a comfortable silence for a long while.

"We should probably get inside…" I mumbled after a while.

Drake pouted at me. "Dinner isn't for like… another hour. Why can't we just stay out here?" he asked, looking at me with his big, blue eyes. I smiled softly, kissing his nose.

"Baby, I've got one more thing to show you for your birthday," I said and he raised his eyebrows at me.

"What do you mean? What else could there possibly be to give me?" he asked.

"Get up and I'll show you," I said, smirking at him. He reluctantly stood up and I took his hand, leading him inside. I only hoped that his family had arrived on time. If they hadn't, I wouldn't really have anything for Drake. I supposed I could just find something in the palace to give him… but it wouldn't be the same.

To my relief, when I took Drake into the throne room, (which just happened to be the front room of the palace, at the top of the massive staircase where Bradley had been executed) two guards stood with an older woman and four children. Well, it wasn't fair to call all of them children because one of them was over eighteen now. Another two were pretty close.

The woman stepped forward, her long chocolate locks matching perfectly to Drake's. Her eyes were very much the same. She wasn't too old, probably in her early forties if she had Drake was she was newlywed. Overall, she was beautiful but I couldn't really expect anything less from the woman who gave birth to my baby. Her name was Roza, simple yet beautiful. It didn't sound Egyptian, but I couldn't place the origin.

Drake's eyes widened and for a moment, he didn't move. His mother smiled a perfect, almost identical to his smile at him and he couldn't fight the smile that spread across his face. Apparently when someone in Drake's family smiled, it was contagious. "Mama?" he asked softly and she smiled, nodding softly. He shook his head softly before running over to her and wrapping his arms tightly around her smaller frame. "Ra, Mama… I missed you," he said and, if I wasn't mistaken, he was beginning to cry.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter Five: All Around Me, I Can Feel A Change**

 **Drake's POV**

My heart stopped dead in my chest when I saw my mother. I couldn't believe that Adam had brought her— and my four siblings— to the palace for my birthday. I couldn't stop the tears that streamed my face as I wrapped my arms around her tightly, holding her close to me. I couldn't breathe as I buried my face into her hair, sobbing softly in her arms. I could feel her shaking with me and I knew that she was crying, too.

Her hands ran through my hair, her fingers pulling out gentle snarls. Tears streaked my cheek and my soft sobs turned into tears of happiness. I pulled back enough for her to wipe them away with the pads of her thumbs. I smiled softly, breathing hard as I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers for a moment. I felt a gentle tug on the hem of my shirt, seeing my youngest brother, Hayden, looking up at me with wide, deep brown eyes.

"Hey, buddy," I said gently, kneeling down and pulling him close to me in a tight bear hug. His arms curled around my neck and he buried his face into my shoulder, holding me tight. I smiled, another tear running down my face. I hadn't seen him in so long, and he'd gotten so big over the years. He wasn't just my little brother anymore. He was becoming a young man, now, much as I didn't want him to.

Hayden didn't say anything— he was a very shy child— but, I knew, by the way he clung tight to me that he missed me. I smiled softly, rubbing his back tenderly before I curled my arms around his legs, lifting him up so he sat against my hip, much like I used to do with him and Anna… Ra, I missed her, dearly. But she was in a better place, and I had to focus on my family now that they were safe and in good hands here at the palace.

With my littlest brother on my hip, I turned to my brother, Jonah. He stood a good six or seven inches shorter than I did, with brown hair tinted blond from the sun. His eyes were a bright blue, like my own. His body was lean and lanky, his posture awkward. Poor boy was in the process of a growth spurt. I smiled at him and Jonah wrapped his arms around me and Hayden, both, giving us a tight hug.

"Jonah… It's so good to see you." I told him in his ear. He smiled softly, before pulling away from me.

"It's good to see you, too, Drake." He said. His voice still had its boyish charm, but it showed signs of maturing. I smiled at him, looking over at my sister, Amalia. For being seventeen, she'd grown up well. Her body had filled in with curves and her hair was long, pulled back in a gentle, loose braid. Her smile was soft and beautiful, her eyes matching my own. I knelt, setting Hayden down beside Jonah before pulling my sister into a hug.

We didn't speak. But our embrace shared a mutual loss for each other, and for Anna. Amalia cared for our baby sister just as much as I did. I knew her death affected my brothers and my mother greatly, but for Amalia and myself, it felt terrible. Amalia and my mother had been Anna's role models and they did their best to be great examples. I inhaled slowly, willing myself not to cry as Amalia slid from my arms, tears in her eyes.

I turned my attention to my last brother, barely nineteen and a few inches taller than me. Lucky bastard. He'd toned out with years of work and labor. His hair was cut shorter than mine, curling around the tops of his ears and barely in his eyes. Other than that difference, you could've put the two of us side by side and you would've thought we were twins, almost. But I could see in his eyes, a dark, heavy blue, that he'd become serious. Hard-fisted. I nodded once to him.

"Eric," his eyes swept over my frame and I felt a shiver, like I was being judged. Sure, Eric had taken up the responsibility as the man of our home to provide and find a job, but he was looking at me like my father used to look at me…

"Drake," he said with a bow of his head. I looked away from him for a moment, glancing at all of my siblings again. Hayden was the only one who stood out with his eye color. He'd inherited it from our father. Mama always had beautiful blue eyes, and the rest of us had acquired that from her. But not Hayden. He got Mama's beautiful looks, but father's cold, brown eyes. Fortunately, though, Hayden was young, playful and adventurous. And, as much as I hated to think it, the brown would've been more suiting for Eric.

"Ad—" Mama began to say before giving Adam an apologetic look and bowed her head, correcting herself, " _Pharaoh_ , you said you wanted us here… Said it was a surprise?" Mama, out of respect, kept her head bowed. I glanced over at Adam and he smiled, walking over to her and gently placing a finger under her chin, lifting her head. Her eyes met his and she seemed like she was frozen in mid-breath. Not that I blamed her, to be honest. I'd been the same way when Adam first came up to me.

"Roza, please, call me Adam," he said, his smile stretching into a grin. Mama blushed gently beneath her chocolaty complexion and she smiled back. Adam glanced at my siblings before looking back to her, "Would you mind if I had the littlest ones run around and explore? There's something I need to discuss with you and your eldest children," he said. Mama nodded once, before telling Jonah to watch over Hayden and be back here, in the throne room, before it got too dark.

I watched as my youngest brothers took off racing down one of the halls, their giggles ringing through the walls. I glanced over at Adam and he just smiled, faintly, staring after them for a moment. There was a look in his eye of longing and sadness, even, and I wondered, for a moment, just how long it had been since he'd been with his family..? I mentally shook my head of that, though. It was not my place to ask that of him. Or was it? I couldn't be sure.

"Come with me, please," he said after a moment, curling his arm around my waist. Mama, Amalia and Eric walked beside us as Adam led the group down a hall passed the throne room. My brother and sister were quiet the entire time, their eyes scanning the walls and details of the palace. Mama was quiet too, her palm resting between my shoulder blades. The only sounds were that of our footsteps, and, if a servant saw us passing by, they bowed their head in respect before continuing with their chores.

I wasn't sure where we were going, but, to be honest, I didn't care. All that I was really conscious of was the beating of my heart from a multitude of things. One, I was getting married soon and two my family was here! Sure, being here at the palace meant I didn't get to see them often, but I still did. I'd gone to visit Mama, mostly, to tell her that I was alright and that I was happy here.

Adam led us around a corner before pushing open a door to what looked to be a conference room. A small table with chairs on all four sides sat in the middle, the walls decorated with hieroglyphics of great debates and discussions. The wall opposite the door held a massive bay window, overlooking the gardens below. Adam and I walked, sitting in the chairs facing away from the window. Mama sat on the side to our left, Eric and Amalia sat to the right.

"Now, the reason I summoned you here… Was… Well, it's.." Adam stuttered, taking my hand in his beneath the table. I smiled, looking over at him and gave his palm a squeeze. But he seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.

"Spit it out, son," Mama said, immediately blushing and looking away out of respect. I chuckled as Adam's face flamed gently. Even in the Pharaoh of Egypt's presence, Mama was more of a mother than a respecting citizen to him.

Adam smiled softly at her, licking his lips, "I… Had you come here because I wanted your permission for Drake's hand in marriage," he said, calmly, after taking a breath. Mama's head lifted and she looked over at him. Amalia and Eric's heads snapped up, too, their blue eyes wide in disbelief.

"Oh, Ra…" Mama whispered softly, slumping in her chair. Adam swallowed once, squeezing my hand tightly. He was nervous, I knew. I could feel his pulse beating against mine through our palms. Adam glanced at me, smiling softly before looking back to her, trying to be calm.

"Drake and I.. want a more common marriage. Not the traditional for Pharaohs. I have no intention of marrying anyone else in my life. But I knew that it would be wrong of me to marry him without your consent, considering I've already taken him from your home…" He trailed off, regret in his voice. I frowned, leaning into him a little for a brief moment. He might've regretted taking me away, but I knew he did not regret the memories and the love we shared.

Mama's eyes widened and she looked over at me as I blushed softly. I bit down on my bottom lip and I smiled shyly at her, Amalia and Eric. My sister's eyes were bright, excited, even. But Eric's were emotionless, like he was reserving his thoughts for only himself. I swallowed the nervousness from my throat, looking away from him after a moment.

"I understand, also… That, since I wish only to marry Drake, the matter of children on my behalf is, now, impossible. But.. I would like to offer your sons, Eric—" he nodded to my brother, "Jonah and Hayden, schooling from only the best tutors to, potentially, succeed my throne when I'm ill-fit or gone," I shivered, involuntarily, at the idea of Adam dying. True, he had a good amount of years ahead of me, but the thought of him passing on was something I didn't like thinking about.

Out of the corner of my eye, Eric's eyes widened and that cold wall broke slightly, showing his shock and, yet, excitement. Amalia's eyes, as well as Mama's, widened, and their mouths dropped in soft gasps. It took a moment for the news to settle into my head and I realized that Adam had offered my _brothers_ to become his successors, if they desired it, enough. I looked up at him, and he turned his head, smiling at me.

"And, Roza?" He said softly, and Mama looked over at him, "I understand that you will not wish to part with your children. Which… Is why I would like you to live with myself and Drake, here, in the palace." He concluded and my mouth fell open in shock. Adam.. Wanted my family to live here? My heart was thrashing in my chest and I looked away from him, staring down at the wood of the table.

To have my family live here meant a great many of things. I could watch them grow up, get married, have kids, make something of themselves. I could spend time with them like I used to. Sure, other servants had become something of family. Adam was my future husband and lover, Tommy was my best friend and Cassidy had a bit of a father figure in him over me, but to have my _true_ family, here? It was almost too much to think about all at once.

"My Pharaoh…" Mama whispered, disbelief and yet a strange amount of happiness in her eyes, which were brimming with tears. "That's… I don't know what to say…" she said softly, shaking her head and staring blankly at the table, a gentle smile on her lips. Adam reached over, palming a hand over hers. She blinked, looking over at him.

"I hope you'll say yes," he began, his cheeks glowing lightly, "Your son has made me incredibly happy. Happier than I've ever been," he said, and I looked away, embarrassed, "and I would love nothing more than to have a family, again." I glanced up at him, seeing the shine of tears in his eyes. Mama stared at him hard for a moment before turning her attention to me.

"Drake? Is this what you want? To marry Adam and have us come here?" She asked. I stared, open mouthed at her for a moment before smiling.

"Yes, Mama, yes." I told her, grinning ear to ear. I could see Amalia just beaming at me, and even Eric had the touch of a smile on his lips. He might've gotten cold and hard over the years of labor and caring for our siblings and our mama, but he was still Eric. Still the sixteen year old sporty-punk that I left.

Mama looked over at Adam before taking his hand in both of her, "Then, yes. You have my permission to marry my son," she said. I felt my heart skip a beat and Adam squeezed my hand even more so than he had before. I'd never seen him look so happy, and I'd never felt his heart race quite like this…


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter Six: And I Need You Right Now, I Just Need You Right Now  
Tommy's POV**

I had to admit, when Adam came to Drake's studio, I was a little miffed. I wanted to spent more time with Drake but I knew he was excited to get on with planning his wedding. How could I blame him? A wedding? That was something to get excited about! And I tried to be as supportive as I possibly could. I didn't want to show him how jealous I truly was that Adam, Our Pharaoh, was marrying the most perfect boy- man- in the world. In truth, the Pharaoh was probably the only person deserving of having such a wonderful person all to himself, but if he ever did anything to hurt Drake…

Ra, I would murder him.

Reluctantly, I left Adam and Drake to their business. I wanted to stay or linger around but seeing how Drake lit up the minute Adam walked into the room made me see just how happy he was. I was jealous, but I wouldn't let that get in the way of what was important: Drake's happiness. As long as I was an important part of his life and I knew for a fact that he really did love me, I would be fine. I had to believe that for everybody's sake.

With every step back to my room, I felt like I was dragging two-hundred pounds of lead behind me. The weight constantly increased to the point I truly believed I would _never_ make it back to my room. It didn't even feel like I was moving forward, but eventually my door came into view.

Falling into the soft mattress that was my bed was like a blessing from the Gods. I had never been more thankful for somewhere comfortable to sleep. I couldn't explain why I felt so, well, to put it simply, shitty all of a sudden. I was drained and I just… I couldn't explain what was going on, but I really didn't care. It was probably just the reality of everything finally sinking in. Like it was sapping all of my energy out.

I just needed sleep. That's all I needed. A nice cat nap before dinner and I would be golden. Well, I could fake being golden anyway.

Sleep didn't take long to claim me into her sweet, dark embrace. Another blessing from the Gods. My body just couldn't handle staying awake but I was almost afraid that my mind would keep me awake. I was absolutely terrified that my mind would be racing too fast to handle falling asleep. Thank Ra I was wrong.

 _I was ashamed to say that most of my dreams were the same anymore. Well, that wasn't entirely true because sometimes I dreamt about my little sister. I went to see her in the market place a lot but I still didn't get to see her nearly as much as I would have liked. Today was not one of the times I dreamed about her. I would never admit to where most of my dreams lingered but I almost always woke up with morning stiffness._

 _I was sitting in bedroom alone, starring at the mural Drake had painted on my wall. I wasn't really sure what time it was or even when I was. More importantly, I wasn't too interested in finding out those details. I was perfectly content sitting here, starring at the beautiful paintings that littered my wall. I wished I could create like he did. I wished for a lot of things I didn't have…_

 _Eventually the mural's calling to me was too loud and I stood up, walking over to the wall. I trailed my hand along the stretched and curved musical staff. I probably stared at this painting far too much but it was the one thing that Drake had given me that he never gave to Adam. Sure, Drake had painted things for Adam but nothing as large and extravagant as this. This painting was the world to me._

 _"Bonding with the wall again?" a voice, Drake, called from the direction of my doorway. I turned to face him and found him leaning in my doorway, a lazy grin spread across his face. "Why do you always stare at it, Tommy? I mean, I'm flattered that you like it, but it's not alive. It's not going to magically jump off of the wall and make love to you." He smirked, pushing himself off the frame. Today he was dressed… basically like a skank. Probably something he only dug out for Adam in the privacy of their bedroom._

 _Tight, golden shorts that were shorter than even the most revealing things Adam had us wear in public. They didn't hide much. To give you a fantastic visual, his ass was hanging out of the back of them. Drake didn't have a big ass, so you could only imagine how tight and short these shorts were. He wore a shear shirt on top. There were no sleeves, so his tattoos stood out against his skin just as beautifully as dark oils stood out on a white canvas. The shirt might as well have been clear. It didn't hide any detail of his beautiful body and just looking at him like this made me hard enough to bend him over and fuck him right here._

 _There were only two things that didn't grace his frame. There was absolute no jewelry, leaving him looking gorgeous but not intimidating. He didn't show any signs of becoming royalty other than the fact that he was beautiful enough to rule a kingdom simply on his looks. There were also no tattoos on his hips, no mark of lover. No claim of Adam's love._

 _"Wow, you don't have to be so upset. I dolled myself up for you and you want to just stare at a painting for the rest of the day?" he asked, reaching up into his hair to pull it out off the lopsided ponytail. The chocolate locks rained down around his face, long in the front, touching his shoulders, but stopping at the hair line on the back of his neck, making a sharp, intense slope forward. It looked a lot better than when he kept all of it the same length and he was still able to do his cute pony tail when he wanted._

 _He tossed his hair tie to the side and then reached forward, taking my hands in his. He guided them to his backside, forcing me to grope him with both of my hands. "Don't play so hard to get. You know I'm going to win. I always do," he said, smirking at me._

 _"Won't Adam be upset?" I asked. It was the same question as my last dream and the dream before that._

 _"Adam? Who cares what upsets Adam and what doesn't? I'm not his, he's mine," Drake said. It sounded so demeaning and cruel, but he made it sound innocent. "And so are you," he added, smiling at me. How could I argue with him? I would jump to my death if it was for him. I would do whatever he wanted me to do. He had a powerful hold over me. He had a powerful hold over almost everybody. "Now stop being such a pansy and fuck me senseless." He sounded innocent and seductive at the same time. How did he even manage to make sex sound innocent? That made absolutely no sense._

 _But Drake was a mystery._

 _"Whatever you want…" I whispered and he smirked, pulling his shirt over his head, revealing slightly colored but still pale skin. I itched to mark it. I itched to claim him like Adam always did. Who was Adam to keep such a beautiful boy all to himself? To keep this God to himself? Not even the Pharaoh was that deserving of something…_

 _He breathed kisses against my jaw and collarbone, pulling soft, strangled cries from my lips. "Don't worry so much, Tommy. You're fine, just take me," he said, twisting away from me. He walked over to my bed, his hips swaying in perfect unison with my heartbeat. Unlike me, Drake was a little more feminine. He had curvy hips and beautiful legs, although he was nowhere near as curvy as a woman. When you were gay, even the slightest curves made a world of difference._

 _"Fuck me…" I breathed and Drake just chuckled as he climbed up onto the bed._

 _"No baby, fuck me," he said, smirking over his shoulder at me. He deliberately kept himself on all fours, teasing me with his ass sticking up in the air. If he kept taunting me like this, I was going to make him regret it. I would fuck him so hard he wouldn't even be able to move the next day, god or not._

 _In the time it took me to get across the room, I was completely stripped. "I'll make you swallow those words," I told him, grabbing his hips in my hands. He laughed as my fingers wiggled into the hem of the shorts he was still wearing. I pulled them down in one swift movement, dropping them to his knees, but he wasn't completely naked. A black, lacey thong clung to his lower hips and I just smirked at him, slapping his left cheek hard. He cried out, arching into my touch some. Drake liked it rough, contrary to a lot of people's beliefs about how delicate he was._

 _"You filthy slut," I hissed, pushing his cheeks apart. He glanced over his shoulder to look at me, a light flame spreading over his cheeks._

 _"What can you expect from the God of Sex?" he mused, smiling innocently, his hair hanging out and around his face like a beautiful, dark wood frame. "I made your dreams come true all the time, but I can't do that for just you, you know."_

 _That was all the push I needed to slam myself into him. He cried out, gripping the sheets beneath him tightly, but I knew he liked it like this. Prep was no something he was very fond of. He liked it raw and he liked dirty. Within seconds he was moaning and screaming like he was doing this for money. He was calling my name and I never heard something so beautiful before…_

I shook awake when someone knocked on my door. I sat bolt right up, feeling an awful stiffness from in between my legs. It hurt, so I just dug my nails into my thigh. The pain from something else got my mind off of the pain of my hard-on and it effectively died in a few minutes. "Who is it?" I called, pushing myself off of the bed. I was sweating and my heart was racing. Underneath that, I still wasn't feeling much better than I had before I had fallen asleep.

"It's Drake." Of course it was. Nobody else came to see me. I walked over to the door, pulling it open and grumbling about how he knew he didn't need to knock. Though, this time, I was very pleased that he did. That dream had just been too much… To my surprise, Drake wasn't alone. A younger boy clung to him, holding tightly onto his shorts. I was relieved to see Drake was still dressed in the blue shorts and shirt he had borrowed from me earlier and not in some skanky thing that would make me need him…

"Who's this?" I asked, yawning. A big grin spread across his face and he picked the child up in his arms. It was then that I saw how similar they looked. The younger boy had Drake's face, minus the bright blue eyes.

"This is my little brother, Hayden. He's the… youngest…" he said, his smile wavering for a moment as he thought about Anna. The boy seemed to huff in his arms, which was honestly really fucking adorable. "Adam brought my family out here for… well to ask my mom about marrying me but… for a lot of other shit he didn't even tell me about." He seemed a little miffed about whatever Adam hadn't told him. He probably just didn't like being out of the loop. Welcome to my life, Drake.

"Aww, he's adorable," I said, smiling at the little boy. "So where are the others? Aren't there like… four? Plus your mom?" I added, glancing around. Besides a servant or two passing by, Drake and Hayden were the only ones in the hall.

"They're at dinner. When you didn't show, I figured I'd come make sure you were okay… Hayden just wanted to stay with me so he came," he told me. "Please come eat? I want you to meet them! They'll love you…" I smiled at him, nodding softly. How could I deny him? Nobody could deny Drake. Not me, not Adam, not any of the servants who worked here and not even Cassidy could say no when he got that disappointed look his ocean eyes…

"Sure thing, sorry, I just took a nap and overslept," I told him, joining him in the hall to walk to dinner.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter Seven: And Finally The Moment's Right**

 **Adam's POV**

I lifted my head up from my plate to see Drake and Tommy walking through the wooden double doors of the small dining hall, Hayden clinging tight to Drake with his thin arms wrapped around Drake's neck. I smiled, staring at Drake as he sat Hayden down in his chair. I forced myself to look away, a soft blush washing over my face as Drake took his seat to my right, Tommy across from him to my left.

I glanced over at the blond, frowning slightly. His hair was slightly disheveled around his face, dark circles under his eyes. He looked pale as he lifted his fork, picking at the food on the plate that had been brought to him before taking a small bite. I turned my attention to Drake, and he merely shook his head. He didn't know what was wrong with Tommy, either.

The dining hall was filled with the sounds of forks and knives clinking against plates, people chewing and drinking wine. To Drake's right was his older sister, Amalia. Next to her was Jonah and then Hayden. On Tommy's left was Eric and Roza, silently eating their own meals. I bit down on my bottom lip, taking another bite before looking over to Drake.

"So, Drake… You're an artist—" four heads snapped over at Drake with curiosity; not Hayden. He was playing with his food. "Do your siblings have any talents?" I made it more of a general question as I looked up, meeting the eyes of his siblings and his mother before taking another small bite of my food. Drake swallowed the bite that was in his mouth, glancing over at his sister.

"Amalia's a seamstress," Drake commented, and I watched the young girl's cheeks flame delicately and she smiled shyly. "Jonah's always had an interest in architecture," Jonah grinned, mouth full of meat before Roza scolded him about having too much food in his mouth. I chuckled and Drake just smiled before continuing across the table for his brother, Eric.

"Eric's very political," I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the young man. He kept his head bowed, staring down at his food. But, like Drake, there was a tint of red on his face, a small smile plucking at his lips, "I think you'll find him apt for some business-y conversations," I chuckled.

"Maybe," I said, and Eric glanced at me before looking away. I turned, glancing down the table at Hayden, who was still playing with his food. I wondered if there was anything he was interested in, other than mashing his vegetables, but I was too caught up in watching his brown, childish eyes creating the story of the chaos of his food. I smiled slightly, watching the boy for a moment before Drake rested a hand over mine.

"Adam?" He said, and I blinked, looking away from Hayden.

"Yes?" Drake glanced down to his younger brother and smiled warmly.

"You were staring at Hayden," at the mention of his name, the youth glanced up shyly, wondering, no doubt, if he'd done something wrong. I chuckled, shaking my head a little, setting my fork down on my plate.

"My apologies. He just reminds me of my younger brother, Neil." Out of the corner of my eye, Drake frowned slightly at me, as if curious about my brother. I turned my head towards him, but kept my eyes down, staring at our hands. "He passed from fever when I was twelve," I told him, my voice soft. There were sympathetic gasps from Drake's family members and I shook my head, smiling at them.

"It's alright. He's in a better place." I told them. Amalia looked like she was ready to cry, the poor thing. I smiled at her, shaking my head again. I was fine. Sure, I missed my brother like nothing else, but he, truly, was in a better place, and I had to the thank the Gods for that. Everyone I'd known and loved dearly were in a better place. Neil. My parents. Alexander.

"My Pharaoh?" Jonah's soft, boyish voice squeaked gently, and I smiled, looking over at him.

"Yes, Jonah?" He licked his lips, his eyes locked on Tommy. I glanced at Tommy, seeing that he was slowly taking small bites of food, but showed no real interest in eating.

"Pardon me, but who is that?" He asked quietly. I smiled softly, placing a hand on Tommy's wrist. I mentally frowned; Tommy's skin was hot to the touch. But I pushed the thought aside as Tommy lifted his head to look at me and then Jonah.

"This is Tommy," I said softly, smiling shyly, "He and Drake were, originally, my, uh.. _pleasure_ servants," Hayden frowned, not understanding in the slightest, but the other three siblings and Drake's mother's eyes widened. Amalia's face went scarlet, and Roza and Eric looked more shocked than anything. Jonah looked like he wished he didn't ask.

Drake's eyes were staring hard at his plate, his fork scraping back and forth with bits of food getting caught here and there. Roza turned her attention to her son, staring at him, almost willing him to lift his head with just the weight of her gaze. "Drake?" She said softly, and Drake lifted his head, looking embarrassed and, almost, ashamed as he stared back at her.

"We thought you were carted to work on pyramids," Eric said, his voice sharp and, if I wasn't mistaken, disappointed. I turned my attention to him and his mother.

"Initially, yes. Those taken from their homes are sent to work. However, I take into account those I believe unfit for such labor. Some are sent to work as cooks, others laundry boys or trained to become guards. Drake… Was chosen for a more glamorous lifestyle." I told them. Roza's eyes narrowed as she stared at her son before turning to me. I felt my heart skip and pound in my chest, twice as hard as before. What if this bit of truth suddenly changed my image in her eyes? What if she no longer favored the idea of my marriage to Drake?

"I trust you were careful with him, yes?" She said, her choice of words careful, motherly. I inhaled slowly.

"Yes, of course. I never forced Drake into anything he wasn't ready for. I always gave him the opportunity to say no." I told her, and it was the honest truth. I always gave Drake the choice to deny me if he wasn't ready. But he never did. That was something, perhaps, he'd have to take up with his mother in another conversation at another time.

Roza's eyes softened and she nodded once, returning to her meal. I grabbed my wine, taking a long, savoring drink before setting it back down. Another silence fell over the table, filled with only the sounds of forks and chewing and drinking, but I caught Amalia looking up and over at Tommy once, blushing slightly before looking away from him. I smirked softly, chuckling to myself. How cute.

When dinner finished, I called forth a serving boy to ready rooms for Drake's family. He nodded once, taking Drake's family and guiding them down the hall towards a few open and ready rooms. Drake said goodnight to his mother, sisters and brothers before turning to me. He smiled softly, leaning into me as I pulled him into my arms. I'd almost forgotten Tommy was still in the room until I heard his chair scuff against the stone.

I turned, seeing him standing from the table. His plate still held food, and I frowned. Tommy was, normally, one to eat all three courses. But tonight he barely finished one. He walked, sluggishly, almost, towards us, his intentions showing that he was going to leave us, but I stepped away from Drake and curled a hand over his shoulder. He stopped, looking up at me with tired eyes.

"Tommy? What's wrong?" I asked him, my hand sliding to palm his cheek as I pressed the back of my other to his forehead. His skin was too warm to the touch, sweat forming in his hairline.

"I just don't feel that well, Adam. I'm fine. I just need some sleep, is all." He muttered weakly. I frowned again as Drake came up beside us, staring worriedly at the blond.

"Tommy, your cheeks are red and your skin is warm. Are you getting sick?" I asked. Drake glanced up at me before trailing his fingertips against Tommy's cheek. I watched the blond seem to melt into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed not from exhaustion but from being content under my boy's fingertips. I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling a twinge of pain in my heart.

"He's right, Tommy… You should go lie down." Drake commented, wrapping his arm around Tommy's waist. The blond leaned against him slightly, his eyes slipping shut again. Drake turned his head to speak to me, "I'm going to take him to his room. I'll be with you shortly, okay?" I smiled, nodding once before pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Go. Make sure he's comfortable and sleeping," I instructed. Drake nodded once, before helping Tommy out of the dining hall. I sighed softly, leaning against the door, thinking about the way Tommy seemed so at peace when Drake touched him..

I knew Tommy loved him. I knew how much Tommy loved being with Drake, and part of me felt awful that I was marrying Drake because it meant I was crushing Tommy's heart. I'd always made it my goal to keep my boys happy, and I knew that I was going against that by marrying Drake. But I loved Drake, too.

I'd always wanted to marry Alexander, but my father had been against it. Said it was wrong to marry a lowly servant and that I needed to follow in his footsteps. All of the other wives that he'd had didn't hold candles to my mother, and I barely acknowledged them in my youth. But, my mother, the one who birthed and loved myself and Neil, had been supportive of my wishes to marry Alexander.

I sighed softly, running fingers through my hair. I still missed my mother and Alexander. I missed Neil. I missed having a family to love and cherish. Marrying Drake was something I not only wanted with my whole being and soul, but it meant I would be having a family again. Brothers and sisters to love and a mother to turn to for advice (despite the fact she was only, maybe, ten years older than me). I wanted it more than I could say…

But at the cost of Tommy's happiness?

I sighed, pushing off from the door, slipping through into the hallway of the palace. It was empty, dark, chilled winds sweeping through and making me shiver. I regretted my choice of cut-off trousers and shear shirt, but the walk to my chamber wasn't far and I knew that I'd be in the comfort of warmth soon. I, truly, had nothing to complain about, anyway. There were still thousands of people freezing each night…

On top of wedding plans and arrangements, there were political issues. Advances had been made, but finding the funding for schools and jobs as well as paying off loans used to buy the technology to better build Egypt was weighing on me. There were also the matters that I had no biological heir to my throne. But that had been, hopefully, covered by Drake's brothers. If they desired it, they could be my heirs. I would have preferred it, actually. I had no interest in impregnating a woman just to have sons of my own.

Walking slowly, I passed a window that overlooked the gardens. I stopped, staring out at the flowers, statues and the fountain near the center. I smiled, enjoying the beauty of the moonlight washing over the stones and greenery. I had half a mind to ask Drake to paint it for me to hang up in my room… I smiled slightly, walking down the hall to my chamber doors.

Drake was a few feet away, walking up to them just as I was. I smiled at him, bending my head down and pressing my lips to his gently. He moaned, one hand curling over my shoulder, the other palming my face delicately. My hands rested themselves against his hips as I deepened the kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth for only a few moments before pulling away, leaning my forehead against his.

"Is he sleeping?" I asked.

"Yes. I think he passed out the moment he hit the bed," Drake chuckled. I smiled, reaching over and opening the door to my chamber, before pulling him inside.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter Eight: I'll Let You Make Me A-Whooooo Tonight!  
Drake's POV  
**  
Adam and I snuggled for a while. We were in a comfortable silence, my head resting against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart beat. I smiled, kissing his bare chest gently. His fingers tangled into my hair, massaging my scale gently with the tips of his fingers. I purred, burying my face into his chest.

"Baby…" he whispered, leaning up to kiss me gently. I smiled softly, pulling my head off of his chest so I could press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I want you, Drake…" he whispered and I just couldn't help the laugh that slipped from my lips.

"Adam, when don't you want me?" I asked, smirking at him. He laughed and I climbed up over him, straddling his hips. "You would fuck me any time, any where, wouldn't you?" I added, pressing gentle kisses into Adam's neck. He moaned quietly, threading his fingers into my hair. He tugged, smirking as I moaned.

"Don't pretend like you wouldn't," he said, pulling me down into a rough, dirty kiss. Being with Adam generally left me feeling like a skank but I was his skank. Sometimes Adam was gentle and loving when we made love but usually it was rough, passionate and leaving me sore in the lower regions of my being the next morning. I wasn't entirely sure which version we'd go with tonight, but either way, I knew it was coming. We generally made love four or five nights out of the week…

I pressed my hands into his chest, rubbing my palms over his nipples. "I would strip for you on the front steps of the palace if you asked me to…" I admitted, blushing softly. Adam smirked up at me, trailing his hands down my sides. We generally slept naked or mostly naked, so clothing was never a thing we had to worry about. Tonight we were both naked. For a while, I just thought we were going to cuddle until we fell asleep, but apparently Adam had other plans.

"Oh really? Well… perhaps I'll need to take you up on that. I'd love to fuck you out there," he teased, rolling over to push me down on my back so he could hover above me. He dipped his head, kissed his way from my jaw to my growing erection. My jaw dropped when his tongue lashed out, licking me from base to tip over and over again until I was completely hard. "But this bed will do for tonight." He chuckled, kissing the tip of my erection. He tongued the slit a few times before he pulled back, pushing my knees up in the air and my thighs apart.

I inhaled through my nose, gnawing on my bottom lip. "Adam…" I whined, lifting my hips off of the mattress. He laughed, burying his face between my legs. He breathed into me several times, pulling a few loud squeals from my lips. I blushed wildly, whining. Adam laughed again and I really wished he would stop laughing at me. I didn't really see how our sex life was funny at all.

"Relax baby," Adam whispered, his lips trailing against my entrance. I whined again, wishing Adam would stop teasing me like this. It was almost too much to handle. He stuck his tongue out, pushing it into me as deeply as it could go. I swear to Ra, I almost came right then and there. Adam wiggled his tongue, brushing the borders of that spot. He didn't even need to search for it anymore. He knew exactly where it was… and he was an expert in hitting it every single time we got intimate. He always got to it within minutes.

"Adam…" I whined, pushing back against his tongue. Adam pulled back, licking from my entrance to my balls. My fingers were twisting into the sheets of our bed, needing something to hold onto. He slowly pushing one of his fingers into me and I groaned, tightening around him as he licked me. "Baby please…"

He smirked into my skin. "You taste delicious tonight, Drake," he whispered into my skin, groaning. I tossed my head back into the sea of pillows littered on the bed. He was driving me crazy with this foreplay, teasing me enough to keep me throbbing but not enough to let me release. I bit my lip, twisting away from him. I could make him suffer too!

"Baby?" Adam asked, reaching for me but I just moved back, pulling my knees up to my chest, holding them tightly. I could still feel my erection pressing into my stomach. Adam frowned at me, kneeling in front of me. "What's the matter, baby?" he asked softly, putting his hands on the tops of my knees. I knew he wanted to continue. I could tell by the twitching of his erection every few moments.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, frowning at him. "Why did you offer all the stuff to my family without talking to me first?"

Adam blinked, shocked that I stopped our love making to simply yell at him. "Are you angry with me?" he asked, reaching up to put a gentle hand on my face. "I mean… Does any of it upset you?" He seemed confused, not that I could blame him.

"No… I'm not upset that you offered them all that shit, I just don't really understand why you didn't talk to me about it. I mean… I think I kind of deserve to know that my brothers are going to be the heirs to my future husband's throne. And that's another thing, if we're going to be married, you _should_ be telling me stuff," I said, pouting at him. His eyes softened and he took my cheeks into his hands (not those cheeks, you pervs).

"I'm sorry baby, I just… thought it would be a surprise for you if I asked them all to stay. If I told you about asking them to be my heirs, it would have given away the whole staying with us thing," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I think your brothers will be fantastic heirs once they go through some proper education."

"All I'm saying is that I think I should be part of things you're planning. I think you should tell me stuff and I really think that…" He cut me off by shoving his tongue down my throat. I moaned out, my tongue slipping into mouth before he forced it back into my own mouth.

I pushed him back after a minute. "And another thing. Why the _fuck_ did you tell my _mother_ that I used to be your _sex slave_?! What would ever possess you to do that? I mean, honestly, you could have made something up. Did you really need to tell them all that you kept me here so I could spread my legs for you whenever you asked? So I could bed with you whenever you felt horny?" I demanded, keeping him a good seven inches away from me.

He blinked. "I… I was just being honest with them… I didn't really think…" he began.

"No, you really didn't think. Adam, you told my mom that I was your sex slave!" I exclaimed, frowning at him. I wasn't exactly angry but… that was an extremely stupid thing to tell my family, especially since we were planning on getting married soon.

"I… I'm sorry baby, I wasn't thinking, you're right… I just wanted to be honest and my honesty just went a little too far. Besides I didn't originally take you from your home to bed with me. It just happened and… why does it matter anymore?" he asked, his voice sounding sweet and loving. "What does it matter? We fell in love. We're in love and we'll always be in love," he whispered, leaning over to kiss me again.

I groaned, kissing him back. "I know that Adam… I just…" I sighed deeply, closing my eyes for a moment. "I just want you to be honest with me and not keep me out of the loop. I want you to treat me like I'm your husband and not your servant… And you didn't need to tell her that we've already had sex…"

He smiled, kissing me again. "I will, baby. But… if it makes you feel any better, I didn't tell anyone what I was planning. Not Tommy, not Cassidy, no one. And… honestly you can't really expect her to believe we haven't had sex already," he whispered against my lips, pushing me back into the pillows. "Now then… Can we continue with our love making?" he asked, licking my cheek. I blushed, moaning lightly.

"Of course…" I whispered, letting my knees falling away from my chest. Adam smirked at me and he move away from me for only a moment. He flipped me over onto my stomach and I could hear him moaning.

"It amazes me that you can just stop right in the middle of sex to yell at me," he mumbled from behind me and I smirked just slightly, looking back at him.

"It's one of my many talents, I suppose," I whispered, still smirking at him. He laughed out loud.

"One too many if you ask me," he whispered, kneeling down behind me. I could practically hear him licking his lips in anticipation. "I'ma fuck you so hard…" he growled, slapping my ass once. I moaned, pushing my ass up into the air.

"Then do it," I told him, looking over my shoulder at him. "Fuck me so hard."

He smirked, rubbing my ass before slapping it again. I gasped, growling at him. "I'll make you eat those words, you whore," he hissed at me. I merely pushed myself back onto him.

"Make me eat them," I told him, my elbows resting on the mattress and my head bowed towards the sheets with my ass sticking up in the air. He smirked at me, grabbing my hips as he spread my cheeks apart, revealing my entrance to him. "Come on, Adam," I said, wiggling my hips, effectively shaking my ass in his face. "Fuck me. Make me eat my words," I told him.

He growled at me again, slapping my ass. "Why are you always so against me prepping you?" he asked me, leaning down to kiss my backside gently. I moaned, pushing back on him. Ra, I felt like a whore, begging for sex but I loved it… I loved every single second of it. I wouldn't ever act like this for anyone else, only for Adam.

"Because…" I whispered, a light blush heating up my cheeks. "I like it rough…" I told him. Despite my encounters with Brad and my encounter with that one greasy guy when I ran away from Adam, I'd grown quite used to raw, dirty sex. I loved it. It felt fantastic and I had to admit that I loved it rough… Most of the time. "I want you to treat me like I'm a bad boy…"

He smirked into the skin of my ass, I could feel it. "Naughty little fuck," he hissed, spitting into his hand to, no doubt, slick himself up. Only a moment later, he was shoving his bulk into me, nearly slamming into me from behind. I screamed into the blankets, shoving back on him to take all of him within me. Yeah, it hurt like Hell but it was a fantastic pain… "You sound like such a whore, Drake," Adam muttered into the flesh of my spine.

I groaned, pushing back against him. "Please Adam, fuck me hard. Fuck me like it's the last thing you'll ever do!" I shouted and he smirked, slamming his hips harshly into my thighs over and over again. I knew there would be some pretty intense bruises on my thighs and ass tomorrow, but right now I just didn't care. The only sounds that filled the room were my screaming, Adam's grunting and the constant sound of flesh slapping on flesh.

Adam's thrusts were powerful, each one pushing me forward and each one pulling a scream from my lips. "Adam, fuck! Baby please!" I shouted into the sheets, lifting my left hand to my throbbing erection. I was so thankful for the stone walls and for the fact that my family had been given rooms on the other side of the palace. I could never imagine what I would do if any of them overheard what went on in this bedroom, or worse, if they saw it…

I began pumping myself, my erection demanding attention. It was throbbing and hurting excruciatingly badly. Adam hissed at me, pulling my hand away from myself. "Stop touching yourself," he hissed in my ear and he wrapped his fingers tightly around the bass of my hard on, acting as a cock ring. I whimpered, thrusting into his hand in attempts to get the friction back.

"Adam… Adam please…" I whimpered, digging my nails into the comforter underneath me. I was sure that if I didn't get the attention my throbbing hard on demanding, I was going to shred the blanket apart with my hands.

Adam laughed out loud, like my neediness was funny. In truth, it probably was beyond funny to him. I didn't really give a fuck if I was amusing him or not, though. I just needed him to touch me! "Persuade me, baby," he whispered into my ear, pounding into me relentlessly. His pace was increasing and he was managing to bury himself even deeper within me.

"Fucking touch me, Adam!" I screamed at him, pushing back on him. He gasped, but my screaming at him worked. He pumped up and down on my erection a few times and, just like Tommy had done this morning, he let his index finger continuously play with the slit. I arched into him, screaming in ecstasy. Adam knew how much this drove me crazy and I was dangerously close to spilling all over his hand and the sheets below.

"F-fuck… Adam… I…" He slammed into me again, hitting that spot with all of his might. To my amazement, he was still keeping a perfect rhythm on my erection, still fingering the slit and I just couldn't take it. White flashed across my vision as I spill into Adam's hand, coming harder than I ever really thought possibly. I screaming into the blankets again, my top half completely collapsing onto the mattress. Adam kept my lower half in the air as he slammed into me erratically. My vision was still white and I couldn't really breathe very well.

With a few more thrusts, Adam came undone inside of me, spilling deeply within me. I cried out softly and Adam collapsed on to of me. We were breathing heavily, amazingly in unison. I groaned softly as he rolled off of me, gently pulling out of me. He scooped me into his arms, holding me tightly against him. "Baby?" he asked softly, running his fingers through my hair. "Boo? Are you alright?" he asked softly, kissing my forehead. I laid my head against his chest.

"I came so hard I thought I went blind…" I whispered into his chest and he just laughed quietly, leaning down to kiss me gently.

"You just had a huge orgasm, that's all, Boo. You'll be alright," he whispered, kissing me gently, a light smirk tugging at his lips. I blushed softly, kissing him back. "You'll be alright, I promise."


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter Nine: So Fare Thee Well, My Own True Love (I'll Think Of You Night And Day)**

 **Tommy's POV**

In the few, short weeks leading up to Drake and Adam's wedding, I saw very little of my best friend. And that was, in part, to a few reasons; I'd been sleeping a lot when I wasn't at dinner and Drake spent the majority of his time with, of course, Adam. I knew that I, really, didn't have a right to be jealous anymore. I needed to be happy for them. And, if nothing else, I had to, at least, _try_ to be happy.

But it was hard. Not seeing Drake put a damper on my, already, sour and unmotivated mood. I couldn't explain why I had no motivation to do anything, it was just how I felt. I was always very tired, very slow. I'd lost my appetite and could barely keep down a full plate at meal times. I knew that I was worrying Adam and Drake, both, but, to be honest, I didn't know what was wrong. I was just tired.

Part of me didn't want to believe that tonight was the last night Drake had as a single man… Part of me didn't want to accept that, early tomorrow afternoon, he and Adam would be bound together as married lovers. I didn't want to think about it, but it seemed like it was constantly there, nagging the back of my mind like a headache or infection that was just pulsing and beating and it _wouldn't leave me alone_ …

' _Stop it, Tommy. Just stop it. You're whining like a five year old. Drake isn't the only person you've ever loved. He, probably won't be the last, either. Get over yourself._ ' I sighed softly, running fingers through my hair as I sat down at my vanity, staring at my reflection. My skin was pale, dark circles under my eyes. My hair was a little on the greasy end, but it wasn't too bad. Brown roots were growing from my scalp, fading into the brilliant blond.

My hair wasn't, always, naturally blond. It had been in my youth, but as I got older, the brown started showing through. I wasn't a fan of it, and Adam had been more than kind enough to keep me supplied with the dyes that I needed to keep it blond. More powerful than bleach and far less damaging to the hair, itself. I ran my fingers along my roots, sighing miserably. I'd need to do some touch ups soon.

But I found myself not even motivated enough for that. And I hated my natural brown hair. I had nothing against the color brown. It looked good on some people— like Drake— but not me. I was better with blond hair. Always blond. That was how I wanted to stay. And now I found myself not even caring enough to touch up the hair that I hated so passionately. Listen to me. I'm pathetic.

There was a knock at my door before the wooden slab was pushed open. I glanced over, seeing Drake stepping inside. I frowned slightly, sitting up a little straighter on the stool of my vanity. I hadn't expected to see Drake until tomorrow morning, when I would be dolling and dressing him up for his wedding. But here he was, in my room, wearing dark shorts and loose-fitting shirt, positioned in such a way that it draped off of his left shoulder, exposing his soft, smooth skin.

I blinked, feeling my face heating with a blush at memories of dreams where I claimed such skin. Drake padded across the stone, his bare feet almost silent as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind, staring at my reflection in the mirror. He frowned, leaning his head against mine, "Tommy? Baby, are you okay? You're awfully pale…" He asked, reaching up and brushing the back of his hand against my cheek before pulling away.

"And you're burning up." He said, flattening his palm against my forehead. I leaned back, my head pressed against his chest as he felt the temperature of my forehead. My eyes slid shut and I felt myself relax. His hands felt like ice in comparison to my skin.

"Tommy, you need to lie down," he said, helping me off of the stool and over towards the bed. I groaned softly, but I fell into the comforts of the mattress and blankets. He walked across the room, flipping the light switch so that darkness enveloped us before he came back, crawling under the blankets beside me, pulling me into his arms. My head lolled against his chest, resting firmly in the crook of his neck. My right arm hooked around his waist, my left curled up between us, my palm flat against his chest.

"Baby, I hope you're not getting terribly sick…" He whispered into my hair. I shook my head slowly. But it felt like gravity had intensified around my body, and it was difficult to move much.

"No…" I mumbled weakly, "I'm fine.. I'm..tired… That's…all.." I murmured. It felt like I was trying to force the words out of my throat. I had to have been just tired. I needed to make it through tomorrow, at the very least, before just sleeping this bug off. Just some soup and sleep and I would be cured. That was all… And, maybe, the comfort of Drake's arms to sleep in..

"Tommy.." Drake's voice sounded like it was at the end of a hallway, and someone's hands were cupped over my ears, "You don't have to go tomorrow. If you're sick, I want you to get better." I whimpered, shaking the lead weight that was my head again.

"N-no… I..promised… I'll..be fine." I whispered, exhaling deeply as my mind shut off and I fell asleep.

For once, sleep did not decide to grace me with dreams of fucking Drake senseless. There were no instances where he was dressed as a slut with cropped cut hair, no moments of need in his eyes with his lips panting hot in my ear. There was nothing but darkness and sleep and, for a moment, I'd forgotten where I was until I felt Drake shift beside me.

I frowned slightly, trying to remember why he was in my room with me. Why I was curled up in his arms like he was trying to protect or comfort me. I blinked once, feeling the surge of an oncoming headache and I remembered. He stayed with me last night after coming in to check on me. Though, part of me wondered if him coming to me was his idea or Adam's— Adam. Their wedding. That's right.

I sighed softly, slumping against Drake a little more than I had before. What time was it? I turned my head, glancing out my window. The sun was well into the sky, but showed no signs of being anywhere near noon. When was their wedding, again? Like, one? Two in the afternoon? I wasn't sure, but I knew that it would be dawning upon us soon if I didn't wake him up.

I glanced back to Drake, seeing his sleeping face turned towards me. I let out a quiet breath, feeling my heart skip a beat in my chest. I'd never get over just how precious he truly was. I bit down on my bottom lip, reaching up and touching his cheek gently. He sighed in his sleep, stirring a little, forcing me to pull my hand away. After a moment his eyes fluttered open and met mine, dazed with sleep but rather pleasant.

"Good morning," he whispered delicately as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, his breath fanning over my face. I inhaled slowly, feeling my heart skip a beat as I smiled.

"Morning," I said to him, reaching up again to caress the side of his face. He smiled a little wider, leaning into my touch and purring quietly. I bit down on my bottom lip, cupping his cheek in my hand and bringing him forward to press a kiss to his forehead. He whined quietly, and I chuckled, pulling away, "What?"

"Don't tease," he pleaded, tilting his head up to catch my lips. I moaned into his mouth, shivering lightly as he pushed his tongue between my teeth, tasting me for a brief moment before pulling away, smiling and blushing lightly. I inhaled slowly, smiling and kissing him again.

"We need to get you ready," I told him, feeling my pounding heart crack just a little. Drake blinked once, seeming confused for a second before he nodded, peeling the blankets off of his body and sitting up. I watched his back curve as he stretched his arms over his chest, groaning quietly before letting his arms fall into his lap. He glanced over his shoulder at me, smiling.

"Well, come on, Tommy," he said with a laugh. I smiled weakly, forcing myself up into a sitting position. Laying down, I'd felt fine, but sitting up made my head spin a little and I felt dizzy and sick. I sighed quietly, feeling Drake slide off the mattress as I rubbed my eyes gently, breathing deeply. I wasn't feeling nauseous or anything, but my head was hurting again and I felt the familiar lack of motivation and fatigue creeping on me again. Maybe there was some kind of a bug going around or something…

I groaned quietly, pushing myself off the bed. Drake was running his fingers through his hair at my vanity when I walked over to him. I put my hands on his hips from behind and I pressed a kiss to his cheek, "Go ahead and go get a bath ready. I'm gonna go get your wedding attire." I told him with a smile. His cheeks flamed and he turned his head, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. I moaned quietly, wrapping my arms around him, pulling him close as I rested my forehead into his for a moment.

Holding him in my arms was such a comfort that I had to fight the whine from my lips when he pulled away to go to the bathroom. I sighed quietly, forcing myself to leave my room and make the short trek down the halls towards Drake's sister's room. Drake had informed me that she was a bit of a seamstress, and, after making arrangements with her and another well-known seamstress in the city, Cassidy had gotten them together and they worked on Drake and Adam's wedding clothing.

I passed several servants who were hustling and bustling about to get things prepared for today's wedding. They were all excited, and they had every right; Adam was finally getting married. And they'd all heard the news that this was more of a commoner's wedding. That he had no intention of marrying anyone else. Not only was that uncommon for Pharaoh's, but the fact that Adam had fallen into such deep love again was a little more than pleasant for his people. I remember, for years, people thought he'd never find another like Alexander.

I sighed quietly, turning a corridor, nodding once in passing with another servant who was carrying linens. I walked down the hall, stopping at a door and knocking politely. And, at first, there was nothing, but after a few moments the door opened slowly and Drake's sister stood on the other side of the threshold.

There was no doubt that she was pretty. She had very womanly curves, though she wasn't yet eighteen, if I knew correctly. Her hair was pulled back into a loose braid, her eyes a bright, brilliant and ocean blue to match Drake's. Her skin was a little darker in color compared to Drake's, but there was no doubt that they were related. Clinging to her frame was a soft, cream colored dress with thin straps that accentuated her curves and flowed away at her hips, ending just at her knees. There was a gold chain hanging on her hips, no doubt accessories that she and the rest of her family had gotten as gifts from Adam.

She smiled warmly, a light blush painting itself across her cheeks as she bowed her head once to me, before looking back up to me, "Is there something I can help you with, Tommy?" She asked, her voice quiet and polite. I smiled at her as warmly as I could, even though I knew part of it was forced.

"Are the dressings done?" I asked. She nodded once, retreating into her room— which was decorated much like Drake's old room with similar colors— before coming back to me with two sets of clothes. I smiled at her, nodding in thanks, turning and walking back down the halls towards Adam's chamber. I figured I would give him his clothes first, since his room was closer than mine was. Of course, though, the walk took me a while— what, if with Drake's family rooming, practically, on the other side of the palace— even taking all the shortcuts that I knew of.

I'd been hoping to get back to Drake to bathe with him, but part of me knew that there was a slim chance of that happening with how long I was taking. I was moving as fast as my body, weak with exhaustion and this bug or whatever, would allow. Sweat was clinging to my hairline as I knocked on Adam's door, pushing the door open slowly. I glanced inside, seeing the Pharaoh sitting at his vanity, trying to wake himself up, it seemed. I smiled softly, walking across his chamber towards him.

"Adam?" I said. He glanced at me through his mirror and he smiled.

"Tommy." He acknowledged. I lifted his clothes into my other arm, holding them out for him as I stepped up beside him.

"Your attire for today. Specially crafted by Amalia and Elena," Elena was the other seamstress, "fit for a King." I commented. Adam smiled warmly, taking the dressings from my hands and setting them down on the table. He looked up at me, a frown tugging at his lips.

"Are you alright, Tommy? You look pale and tired," he said. I sighed softly, shrugging a shoulder.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," it wasn't a total lie. Sure, I slept like a rock, but I was still tired. Adam frowned slightly, looking at me quizzically.

"Will you be able to attend the ceremony?" He wondered.

"Of course. I am fine, Adam. I promise," I told him, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek before turning on my heel and walking out of his chamber, heading towards my room. I would let Drake get dressed there so that I could do his makeup, as well.

The walk to my room was much shorter than Amalia's to Adam's, and in no time I was setting the dressings down on my bed, crossing back through the hall towards the bathroom. To my surprise, Drake was still in the bath, though I was sure I'd been gone for at least an hour, if not more. But there he was, his hair sticking to his face and neck, his body glistening with soap and water. I smiled softly, stripping quickly and slipping into the tub next to him.

"What're you still doing in here?" I asked, taking the soap from his hands to wash his back. He moaned quietly, leaning back into my touch as I pulled him onto my lap, washing his shoulders and going over his chest. Drake leaned his head back against my shoulder as I scrubbed his thighs. Much as I wanted to touch him and kiss him as we always did, there was simply no time to waste… Even if we found it enjoyable.

"Waiting for you, of course," Drake said and I felt my face heat up as I continued washing him. I was careful with his thighs and groin, making sure to wash him so that I wasn't exciting. I knew, by the pout on his lips, that he wasn't pleased with my actions, but it had to be done. I helped rinse him off before handing him the soap and turning so my back was flat against his chest and he began washing me.

"What took you so long?" He questioned gently, practically whispering into my ear as he rubbed the soap against my thighs, sliding up and over my stomach and my chest. I sighed quietly, leaning into him.

"I had to go across the palace to get yours and Adam's clothing. Even with the shortcuts, it was still a long walk," I explained. Drake nodded once, washing me in silence before rinsing me off. His arms snaked around my waist and he dropped his forehead onto my shoulder. I frowned, turning my attention towards him.

"Drake? What's the matter, love?" I asked him, reaching up to touch his face.

"I know this is hurting you." He mumbled quietly. My jaw dropped slightly, but I didn't say anything. I didn't want him to really know that I was upset about this because I wanted him to be happy. I knew that Adam made him happier than anyone else, even me. I couldn't stand in the way of that for him, no matter how much it killed me inside.

"Baby… Don't worry about me, please. Yes, it hurts, but I'll be okay. I'm a big, tough boy. It's not the end of the world." I told him, smiling softly. Drake lifted his head, smiling at me as he pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. I chuckled quietly, turning my head a little more to properly kiss him. He moaned softly, helping me shift so that I was facing him, my hands pressing his shoulders into the wall of the tub as we kissed. Somehow his tongue found its way into my mouth before mine shoved him back and we ended up tangled in his mouth.

I pulled away, resting my forehead against his as we panted for breath. My hands lifted away from his shoulders and I palmed his face tenderly, rubbing circles into his cheeks before kissing him again. Chaste and sweet, but I poured every ounce of my heart into that one little kiss. One of the last I would give him before he was Adam's, forever.

"I love you," I whispered without, really, meaning to. Drake blushed, kissing me again, bringing me closer to him. Our lips brushed as he spoke quietly.

"I love you, too, Tommy. Always." I could've died right then and there. I didn't want to break the silence of the moment between us as he held me close, mouths pressed together in a single, gently kiss, but I had to.

"We should get out. You need to be dolled up and made extraordinarily beautiful." I told him. He nodded once, pecking my lips again before I helped him out of the tub. We dried off quickly, towels wrapped around our waists as we scurried across the hallway back to my room. I shut the door, crossing to my wardrobe and opening the doors. I reached inside for a pair of cream colored trousers, a shear white shirt and a cream colored vest.

Closing the doors, I turned, seeing Drake holding up the shirt, the towel still clinging to his waist. His eyes were staring at each of the details and I smiled, setting my clothes down on the stool by my vanity. Drake seemed to be in awe of the detailing; the material was silk with golden embroidery of hieroglyphics around the sleeves, neckline and the hem. The hieroglyphics wrote out promises of love, adoring and endless devotion. The same was for the pants on the waist line, hems and the seams.

The pants were made of the same silk material, ending and synching around the knees for comfort and coolness. I walked up behind Drake, resting my chin on his shoulder, smiling softly as my arms snaked around his body. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I asked. He seemed to be a loss for words, and he could only nod.

"Your sister made it." I told him. He blinked, turning his head to face me.

"Really?" He asked. I smiled wider, nodding again. A smile graced his lips and I turned away to get dressed. I heard the shuffle Drake's towel falling off of his body as he slipped into his wedding clothes. I removed my own towel, stepping into my trousers and letting them hang off of my hips. I pulled the shear shirt on over my head, smoothening it out over my chest before sliding into the vest, letting it hang off my shoulders.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Drake dressed and looking more radiant than ever before. I gasped softly, staring as the sunlight seemed to wash in and act as a spotlight for him. His hair was shining, glowing with a tint of blond in the chocolate. The silk clung and curved to all the right spots, accentuating the slight curve of hip that he had, hanging loosely around his knees and off his shoulders.

"Ra, Drake…" I whispered, unable to look away. He whipped around, looking at me, blushing.

"W-what?" He asked, so shy and bashful…

"You're beautiful." I commented with a smile, walking over to him and, palming his face in my hands, I kissed him hard. Drake moaned into my mouth, winding his arms around my neck and tangling his fingers into my hair, pulling delicately. I whimpered against his lips, deepening the kiss. For several moments, our mouths meshed, wet clicks and pops, the slips of tongue and teasing before we pulled away, breathless.

I reached up, taking his hands in mine, pulling him over to my vanity. I had him sit down as I pulled out eye liner, blush, shadow, lip stains and set powder. Things I would need to accent his natural beauty as opposed to completely covering it up. I started with his eyes, applying thin, elegant liner, letting it sweep just off of his eyes. I smiled, letting it dry for a moment before smudging a shimmery, dark cream colored shadow onto his lids, applying a lighter shade below his eyebrows so that it had a fading effect.

Setting the eye makeup aside, I picked up a soft blush, rubbing my thumbs with it before smearing it onto his cheekbones, smudging and evening it so that he has a soft tint of pink to his face. I smiled softly, grabbing a light pink stain. Nothing dramatic, just a nice touch. Taking the set powder into hand, I patted his face with it, giving his face a flawless, clean look before grabbing a hairbrush and running it through the few snarls on the back of his head.

I ran my fingers through his chocolaty locks, sprucing it up and giving it a little bit of volume. I took up a small golden clip that had a beautifully painted scarab beetle attached to it, pinning his bangs out of his face. I knew Adam would want his hair to be down, but the least I could do for Drake was keep it out of his face. I smiled at him, fixing his hair in a few places before stepping out of the way of the mirror and around behind him.

Drake's eyes locked with his reflection in the mirror and he gasped. I rested my chin on his shoulder again, staring at him through the mirror. He lifted a hand, touching his fingertips to his cheek, turning his head left to right for a moment before grinning ear to ear, "Tommy," he said softly, "I… I look.."

"Utterly beautiful," I commented, pressing a kiss to his hair, "like a husband fit for a Pharaoh… Fit for Gods…" I whispered.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter Ten: Boy, I Think I Want To Marry You  
Adam's POV**

To say the least, I was nervous. I couldn't really explain why I was nervous to marry the man I loved so much, but I was. Egyptian weddings weren't exactly complicated matters. Being a Pharaoh and, therefore royal, my wedding was bound to be a little more extravagant than an everyday wedding, but the base line was the same. Drake and I would basically recite vows from what many people called "wisdom literature". It was filled with promises of treating each other well and always loving one another.

The ceremony was actually very simple and very short. The celebration afterwards was what the wedding was all about. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of foods would be set out for guests to eat. Music and dancing took up the rest of the night. Egyptians had this never ending need for music, so it only made sense that it would be a featured part of any wedding. I wanted to sing to Drake today. Even though we were both getting married, it was really his day and I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for him. He was my bride and I, as his husband, would do everything in my ability to make him happy. Drake, I was sure, would outshine me today and he should.

Maybe that's why I was so nervous. The idea of seeing Drake in a, more or less, God-like manner was, perhaps, too much to me to handle. I already held Drake above all others. I would do anything for him. If he asked or even hinted that he wanted something, it was his. I simply couldn't refuse him, but to see him in a state that I was sure Tommy would put him in for today? That was uncanny. It wouldn't be holding him above everyone else anymore. He would be everyone else. In an hour's time, I truly believed that he would steal my heart from my chest all over again.

That was a good thing though. I wanted to treat my bride like he was the only person in the world. I wanted him to know that I loved him more than life itself and that, despite our age difference, he would always be my top priority and I would always love him more than anything else. Compared to some of the age differences between past Pharaohs and their wives, thirteen years was simply not that big of a difference. Where we would be in twenty years didn't bother me. I knew Drake and I would always love each other.

It was a little unfair of me to ask for his hand in marriage, not only because of Tommy, but because I knew I would depart from this world before Drake did. I had already prepared my will just as an extra precaution and, in writing, I had told Drake I left everything to him. The palace, the servants and my power over Egypt. If I were to die before I was able to chose and heir myself, Drake would become Pharaoh until he made a choice on who should succeed him. He was the only person I trusted for it and I wouldn't have been able to leave that power to him if we weren't married.

I was marrying Drake purely out of love, but there were a lot of loose ends that were tied with our marriage as well. I knew it wasn't fair of me to take a bride who would live much longer than I was, but I was greedy… I had to admit it. I loved Drake too much not to have him as my bride. He was my everything, that's why I left him everything. It probably wasn't fair of me to expect him to take over my throne, but… I simply couldn't trust anyone else. I just had to tell him so he wasn't surprised if it actually happened.

But that could wait for another day. Today was Drake's day and I was going to give him everything I possibly could, starting with vows, continuing to extravagant wedding gifts, dancing and ending with the most romantic night he'd ever imagined in our chambers… My skin felt hot and tight just thinking about it but that would have to wait. I actually had to make it through my wedding before I could go crazy on Drake's body…

"Adam?" Cassidy called after knocking lightly on the door. "Are you ready? You know you have to appear before your… bride does," he said, chuckling softly. I just finished smudging liner around my eyes. Nothing much besides that. I couldn't outshine Drake's beauty and I didn't even want to try.

I set the tube down and turned to Cassidy. "Yeah, I'm ready," I told him, pulling on my golden sandals. Cassidy smiled at me and walked over. He looked extremely nice today but not as nice as I did, not that I was conceited or anything. Who would try to out dress the Pharaoh and his bride on their wedding day? I stood, looping my arm with my friend's and he took me out into the gardens.

A lot of the design was of Drake's doing. He didn't actually put the scenery together but he did sketch it out in extremely fine detail. The large fountain in the center of the garden acted as an alter of sorts. Roses of ever color were draped all the way around it. Tapestries embroidered with the same hieroglyphics that lined my clothing hung on statues and stringed light glowed lightly in the sun. They were more for decoration until the sun began to go down. Right now they didn't serve much purpose.

Drake's family were already here, setting up the rest of the decorations and the tables that food would be set out on later tonight. Everything was beautiful, perfect really, but what else would I expect from Drake's design? "What do you think?" Cassidy whispered into my ear. I knew he put a lot of effort into making all of this come to life. He wanted today to be just as perfect as I did, if not more so.

"Beautiful Cassidy. A wedding fit for Gods," I told him, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. He smiled at me but I could tell he was envious. He had wanted to marry Bradley so badly… Well before we all found out what a scum bag he really was.

"Good, I'm glad you like it," he said, grinning ear to ear. "Now go take your place, alright? Drake should be coming out any minute now." I nodded, walking over to the fountain. An ancient scroll was rolled out on the hearth. It listed our vows in Arabic. Drake told me he was quite fluent in the language but I'd never heard him speak it before… I kept reading the vows over and over and by the time Cassidy announced Drake's arrival, I was grinning like a love struck fool.

I turned to view my bride and my breath caught in my chest. Drake was probably the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on. He always had been but today? Today he looked like he wasn't even human. He shined like a God and, for a brief moment, I wondered if Drake was a God. It sounded stupid, but he could have definitely been one. What human was so beautiful?

Tommy stood with him, arm in arm. I'd been staring at the scroll for so long, I hadn't even noticed that most of the palace had showed up, including the inksman I had hired for all of Drake's inkings and the wedding planner. The blond escorted Drake to me, giving him to me as if he were handing over his most prized possession. My heart ached for him, but he just smiled brightly at me, as if telling me not to worry. I took Drake from Tommy, taking both of his hands in mine. I didn't think reciting vows would be so hard but seeing Drake looking so beautiful made me realize that… I was really speechless.

Drake blushed under the light layer of make up, intensifying the pink blush. "My Pharaoh?" he whispered, smiling at me. "Are you alright?"

"Never been better," I told him. I wanted to lean forward and kiss those beautiful lips, but I couldn't. Not yet. We had to do this properly, meaning the kissing waited until after the vows were over. He raised his eyebrows at me, smirking softly. "Honestly," I told him, squeezing his hands gently. His smirk faded away and his innocence radiated out again. He could have fooled everyone, even the Gods would have believed he was a virgin. If I wasn't the one fucking his brains out every night, I would have believed he was a virgin.

There was a priest type person, but he didn't play a huge role in the wedding like one would in Western culture. He was mainly there to make the bond "official" and to introduce us to the crowd. Drake and I did most of the work ourselves.

"Today we gather to witness this beautiful young man wed Our Pharaoh. I think we've all been waiting a long time to see our Pharaoh take a bride," the man said, his voice booming around the garden. Drake blushed. The word "bride" always made him light up, which I found completely adorable. The crowd laughed softly, smirking at the comment about me finally getting married. I merely shook my head, taking it lightly. Drake grinned, glancing over at where his family sat. His sister was absolutely star struck. His mother looked so happy, so proud of Drake. His younger brothers seemed like they just wanted to get to the more fun things of the night, but Eric seemed to be taking this extremely seriously.

"Drake has proven himself to be much more than anyone would ever think a farm boy could be. We're all blessed by the Gods to see him marry Our Pharaoh." the man announced again, smiling at Drake who was, once again, blushing. The man gestured to the script. "Our Pharaoh and his bride will read their vows in our ancient language and then we will celebrate." He looked at me. "My Pharaoh?" he muttered, waving a hand over the script. I looked down at it, smiling even though my mouth felt really dry.

I began speaking my vows, mostly from memory but glancing down at the text when needed. I tried to keep my eyes locked on Drake's hypnotic blue eyes, but I couldn't recite the entire thing from memory. Drake smiled the entire time, clearly understanding every promise I made. To protect him, to love him, to cherish him and hold him above all others. Of course there were many promises to be made, but those were the most important.

Once I was finished, Drake began speaking just as fluently as I had. Perhaps he had taught himself Arabic. Most framers didn't know it because they had to choose working over getting a good education. I was working hard to fix that, but it was a work in progress. Drake was much brighter than the average farm boy. It was clear to me that he had memorized most of his vows as well but, like me, he glanced at the scrolls every now and then to make sure he spoke properly. He did. Every single word made my smile grow and, when he was finished, I scooped him into my arms, pulling him close.

It wasn't Egyptian customs to give our spouses rings, but I had found one that I absolutely fell in love with. It was white gold, a thin, delicate band that had a small Eye of Horus set on top of the band. The pupil was a beautiful greenish opal. It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it and I slipped it onto Drake's ring finger, just as a constant reminder of our bond. He was finally my husband and I… I just couldn't believe it.

Tears swelled in his eyes and he wrapped his arms around my neck, kissing me deeply. I couldn't fight the moan that pulled itself from my throat. We kissed passionately for several long minutes. People were cheering and a few people even hooted. They were probably all but happy that their Pharaoh finally married someone. I couldn't really blame them. I was ecstatic to finally have a husband. For a long time, I never thought it would happen to me.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips, pulling back just enough to look me in the eye. I smiled brightly, pecking him on the lips again.

"I love you too, baby." I know what you're all thinking, the wedding wasn't anything special. Well, the ceremony wasn't really but the celebration afterwards is what an Egyptian wedding was really all about. He cupped my face in his hands, the cool metal of his new ring burning into my flesh. I smiled, taking the opportunity to steal another kiss from him.

"You didn't need to buy me a ring," he commented but I shushed him.

"Yes I did. Don't argue with me, please Boo," I begged, wrapping my arms tightly around the boy's waist. He smiled, shaking his head. I knew he'd let me buying him something slide this one time, but usually he'd put up a huge fit about me spending money on him, even if it was something that he really wanted.

People began to stand and roam around. The first person to come up to Drake and I was his mother. She kissed her son's cheek gently, smiling at him before looking up at me. "I expect you to keep every single promise you just made to my son for as long as you are married to him," she told me, taking my face in her gentle hands. She kissed my cheek as well, standing on her tip toes to reach me. Drake was about five-eight, five-nineish. She was several inches shorter than him. "I don't care if you are the Pharaoh of Egypt. If you hurt my son, I'll kill you," she said, smiling beautifully at me. Hadn't Tommy made a similar threat? I'm sure Cassidy had threatened that at some point too. Everyone was so protective of Drake, Ra…

"Mama, don't scare him," Drake said, laughing softly. She merely smiled, tears swelling in her eyes. Drake bit his lip. "Mama…"

"I'm sorry, honey, I'm sorry. It's just… were did my little boy go? You just grew up so fast and now you're royalty…" she said, shaking her head as a few tears slipped down her cheek. I knew they were tears of happiness though. She was ecstatic for her son and she pulled him into a tight hug for several long minutes. "I've never been so proud of anyone. You're father was so wrong about you, baby," she whispered into his ear. Drake's face brightened even more at that. He'd told me about his father and the man was, more or less, a bastard. I'm glad his mother saw him in a much brighter light.

She departed and all of Drake's siblings came up, attacking him with hugs and brotherly/sisterly kisses. He just smiled, laughing with them. His sister made a very similar threat to me but she was far too happy for her brother to sound threatening. A lot of people came up to wish us the best after Drake's family, but eventually they all melted away to get food or to dance to festive music played by a small band.

Cassidy and Tommy were the last two to approach us. They both wore bright smiles, appearing happy for us but Tommy looked paler than he had over the last couple of days. He looked sick and I was beginning to worry greatly about him… but when I asked, he brushed it off.

"Never seen you too smile so much," Cassidy said, pressing a kiss to my lips and then to Drake's. We both smiled at him and Drake leaned into me, putting a hand on my chest.

"Well, we have a reason to smile, don't we?" Drake asked. Tommy and Cassidy chuckled, kissing him on each side of his cheek.

"You're just too adorable," Cassidy mumbled into the boy's cheek. "And you've got everybody fooled into believing you're innocent."

Drake huffed. "Please, Cassidy, I am innocent," he retorted. Even I had to laugh at that.

"No you aren't baby. I would know," I told him, burying my face into his vanilla scented locks. "You are a kinky little bitch and you know it." Tommy and Cassidy smirked as Drake huffed again, pouting. I kissed his pouting lips, taking his hands tightly into mine. "Aww, don't pout at me like that, baby," I whispered, kissing him again. "You know everybody is just teasing."

"You tease a little too much," he whispered, kissing me back gently. I moaned, briefly slipping my tongue into his mouth to taste him. The kiss didn't last long though. We still had a huge celebration to get through before we could… slip into a more intimate state. Drake whined and Tommy rolled his eyes.

"You've got plenty of time for that later, Drake. Right now you and Adam need to go share your first dance as a married couple," he said, pushing us both towards the rest of the crowd. Drake looked a little wary but I took his hands tightly in mine, pulling him along with me.

"Come on, Boo, you'll be fine. One dance won't kill you," I told him, wrapping my arms tightly around his being. He leaned into me, wrapping his arms around my neck and we danced, slow and easy. For a while, the crowd simply watched us dance. It was probably a real treat for them, to watch their Pharaoh dance with his new bride. Drake rested his head on my shoulder, swaying and spinning with me as if we were one person.

Eventually people began to dance with us, so we weren't the center of attention anymore. It was nice because we could slip away to get some food. Drake and I ate more than we probably should have, but we were celebrating. We had a right to overeat, if only for one day. Drake curled up in my lap, leaning against my chest.

"Are you happy, baby?" I whispered into his ear. He blushed softly, looking up at me. I smiled down at him, patiently waiting for his answer.

"I've never been this happy before, Adam. I mean… today was so simple but it was so beautiful," he whispered, reclining to kiss my neck gently. "I never thought I would be married like this. Even when you came to find me when I ran away, I never thought that I would be getting married. I always thought I would be married to the first girl I got along with and that I would be making babies with her but never making love with her…" He kissed my neck gently again, forcing a soft moan from my lips. "I never… expected to be so in love and so loved back when I was married. I definitely never thought I would be marrying the Pharaoh of Egypt." Tears shined in his eyes and I leaned down to kiss them away from his cheeks.

"Baby, you've made me so happy. I couldn't stand not being married to you anymore," I whispered into his cheek, licking away the few tears that had escaped.

"You've just given me the opportunity to be something great. Something more than I ever thought I would be…" he whispered, turning into me to wrap his arms around me. I rubbed his back with slow, gentle circles. "Baby…"

I kissed him gently, my fingers winding into his hair. "You were always destined for something great. You could have done it without me, you know," I whispered, pressing gentle kisses into his hair every other word. "I've never seen you look so beautiful… You've always been breathtaking, but today? Today I truly believe the Gods have blessed me with one of their own." Drake's cheeks flamed but he smirked just a touch.

"Perhaps I am a God, Adam, you never know," he whispered, pressing a kiss into my cheek. I smiled just a touch.

"Oh? And… what would a God find use in me for?" I questioned but he only shook his head, smiling at me.

"Don't question what you can't understand," he whispered into my ear, nipping the lobe gently. I groaned, pulling him closer to me.

We cuddled there for a long time, happy and full, but eventually people came over to pull us back into the celebration. I didn't mind much and Drake was feeling festive, so we went back into the crowd. I kept my arms tightly around Drake, holding him as if he were my most prized possession. "Baby, I wanted to sing something for you. I know you love to hear me sing and I don't sing enough to you but today is a special day and I want you to know just how much you mean to me."

Drake turned in my arms to face me, his eyes shining. The sun was already going down and the stringed lights were beginning to glow brightly. Drake's eyes caught the light beautiful and they intensified the natural beauty of his irises. "Really?" he whispered to me. I nodded, leaning down to kiss him gently.

"Absolutely, baby. Today's your day and I don't think it would be fair of me not to sing for you," I told him, kissing him gently for just a moment. He blushed but nodded, encouraging me to sing. I took his cheeks in my hands, rubbing gentle circles into the beautiful, doll-like skin.

 _"There's always that one person that will always have your heart. You never see it coming 'cause you're blinded from the start. Know that you're that one for me, it's clear for everyone to see. Oh baby, you will always be my Boo,"_ I sang, quietly at first before growing louder for the guests to hear as well. The lyrics were just too fitting for Drake. Every single word was true.

I paused for a moment, staring into Drake's eyes. People were holding their breath, listening closely. I smiled, leaning my forehead against Drake's. _"Do you remember, boy, who was the one who gave you your first kiss? Cause I remember boy, who was that one who said put your lips like this. Even before all of the fame and people screaming your name,"_ that was more true than Drake really wanted to admit, _"Boy I was there and you were my baby."_

Drake's eyes were shimmering and my heart clenched a few times in my chest, skipping beats just as often. _"It started when we were younger and you were my baby. Now another chapter's taken over but it's still in your eyes, my Boo. Even though we used to argue, it's alright, it's alright, boy, it's okay. And if we haven't seen each other in a while, you will always be my Boo."_ Tears began to roll down Drake's cheeks and I just swept them away with the pads of my thumbs. _"My ooh, my ooh, my ooh, my Boo,"_ I sang a few times. I repeated lines, making the song last for around four minutes but Drake was shaking from his tears before I was even half way done.

I pulled the boy tightly into my chest, holding him too me and I sang the final _"My baby, my Boo."_ He was smiling brightly through his tears and he pushed himself up onto his toes to kiss me full on the lips. I moaned, kissing him back deeply. I could feel people's eyes boring into us but I simply didn't care. None of them mattered at this moment. The only person who did matter was clenched tightly in my arms, kissing me like I was the only person on Earth.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter Eleven: Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life, Too, For I Can't Help Falling In Love With You  
Drake's POV**

The late hours of the night rolled in, breaching to almost the early morn before the dancing and the partying began to die down and Adam and I retreated to our chamber for some private time to ourselves. We were exhausted from dancing and socializing, but there was a kind of fire that was still pulsing through our blood, keeping us light on our feet as he dragged me down the dark halls.

My heart was pounding in my chest, a smile stretching itself across my lips as Adam's hand tightened ever so slightly, his fingers laced between mine, pulling me into the confines of our chamber. _Ours_. My heart stuttered in its rhythm for a brief moment and I was grinning like an idiot as the door clicked shut behind me, enveloping us in darkness that was both cool and pulsing with heat.

Adam's lips were pressed up against mine, his body leaving not nearly enough room to even properly breathe as he sandwiched me to the door. A moan left my lips as my eyes slid shut, my fingers sliding into Adam's hair and getting tangled in the midnight locks. I tensed my arms, pulling gently— at first— on his hair, tugging a groan from the back of his throat. Adam's hands clung to my hips, dragging me away from the door and down towards the bed.

I giggled as our lips broke, my hands falling away from his hair. He released my hips, taking my hands in his as he stopped on a step lower than me, giving us enough of a height difference that we were on eye level with one another. I smiled, leaning forward to catch his lips again, slipping my tongue between his teeth. Adam moaned softly, tilting his head to change the angle of the kiss as his tongue fought with mine for dominance in his mouth; a battle that I won. A blush spread like fire on my face but my lips were curved into a smug grin when he pulled away, pulling me towards the bed again.

"I'm gonna wipe that smug look of your face, Drake, just you wait," Adam commented, leaving a tease of a kiss against the curve of my jaw. I moaned quietly as he turned us, pushing me down so that my back and hips were on the bed but my legs curled off, feet flat on the floor. I smiled, my mind in a daze from the wedding up to now, and I sat up slowly, reaching out and wrapping my arms around Adam's waist.

"Is that so, love?" I questioned quietly, leaving a kiss against his chest. Adam smiled down at me, caressing my cheek before digging his fingers into the thick mane of my hair, pulling sharply. He bent my head back, exposing my throat in all of its glory. I cried out, pain shooting down my spine before mixing into pleasure as Adam nipped at my throat and neck, breathing hot and heavy against my skin.

I moaned softly, arching into his kisses and touches as Adam's other hand slid down my side, trailing along the hem of my shirt before slipping underneath it. I shivered, feeling his cool fingers against my burning flesh as they raked up towards my nipples. I gasped softly as his nails scraped over the bud of a nipple, sending shivers down my spine in the process. My eyes slid shut, my mouth open in a moan.

"Adam…" I whispered softly as Adam tugged on my shirt, pulling it up and over my head, leaving me in the few pieces of jewelry and my trousers. I opened my eyes, staring into his which were dark, pupils blown wide with lust. I gasped again as Adam pulled me up, helping me slide towards the middle of the bed before pushing me flat onto my back, his legs straddling my legs, his lips teasing my skin.

I whined softly, arching up into his kisses as his nails dug into my sides, gently scratching into me. My chest was rising and falling with heavy breathing as Adam nipped at my left earlobe, tugging on it with his teeth, sucking sweetly on my skin like it was candy. His hands were fiddling with a necklace that hung, cool and heavy, around my neck. He managed to pluck it free and toss it aside as I moaned softly, my hands playing with the hem of his shirt as he let go of my earlobe with a gentle pop, kissing my lips tenderly.

"You're so beautiful, Drake." He whispered into my mouth, forcing me to blush madly. I smiled at him, my eyes barely opening long enough before he kissed my throat, his hands curling around the waistband of my trousers, pulling them down inch by agonizingly slow inch. I whined quietly, lifting my hips enough for him to pull my trousers down around my thighs, before tugging them off of my legs entirely.

"So beautiful… And all mine," Adam ghosted a kiss to my jaw, his fingertips trailing over the curve of my thighs, up along the tattoos on my hips. I shivered lightly, my eyes fluttering closed as he left those brief caresses, raising chills in my skin while he kissed and licked my throat and shoulders. My hands fell away from the hem of his shirt, my arms sprawled out to my sides.

Adam left kisses in my skin that electrified my nerves, sending me on a frenzy of pleasure and relaxation. My teeth hooked around my bottom lip and I whined softly as his lips graced the insides of my thighs. His tongue lapped out, tracing the nearly-vanished scars and I gasped quietly, arching. The memory of the burn from the knife cutting into me lingered like a nightmare that was slipping from my mind. Adam's hands curled around the undersides of my knees, pushing my legs up and away from my body.

I kept my eyes closed, hands curling into fists, balling up the sheets and blankets in my palms. Adam breathed against the base of my growing erection, making it twitch and tingle with pleasure. I smiled, humming quietly as his lips dragged a wet kiss into my thigh again, making me tremble gently, "Adam…" I moaned softly, lolling my head to the side.

Adam's lips left another kiss to the back of my thigh before he ghosted a breath into my entrance. My eyes opened wide as I moaned, arching slightly off of the bed before falling back into my relaxed positions, my knees drawn up and exposing my thighs and ass, heels digging into the bed, fingers clawing at the blankets. Adam breathed into me again and my eyes rolled to the back of my head, a moan caught in my chest.

Moist and wet, Adam's tongue circled the ring of muscle before pushing in, slow and teasingly. I whimpered quietly, fisting the blankets so hard I was sure my knuckles stretched white. Adam slid his tongue deeper and deeper, making me moan louder and louder, until his lips were pressed to my skin and I was arched off the bed, whining and panting. He'd never been this slow, this steady. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

"Fuck, Adam…" I moaned, breathing hard, trying to keep myself from rocking back on his tongue. Part of me knew that Adam was smiling as best he could with his tongue shoved up my ass, another part simply didn't care when he started to move it. Whimpers and high-pitched, embarrassing noises fell from my lips as he, essentially, fucked me so slowly with his tongue.

Adam's hands slid down the backs of my thighs, his fingers light and feathery to the touch before he slid them up around my erection, teasing the skin of the base and the slit in the head. I bucked, crying out, shaking and, instinctively, pushing back on his tongue, feeling it press deep and nudge that sweetest of spots within me. Stars flittered across my vision and I gasped, bucking again.

"Oh, fuck! Adam, please… Adam, please, I.. I need you.." I whimpered, pulling at the blankets for a moment as I tried to relax. Adam hummed, his tongue swirling back and forth inside of me as his hands continued to massage me, his thumb swiping over the slit again. I choked, forgetting how to breathe as my back lifted off of the bed. " _Please!_ " I whined, lifting my head first, then my body, enough to stare down at him.

Adam's eyes lifted to meet mine, his pupils blown so wide, I swore I couldn't even really see the whites of his eyes anymore. His mouth was pressed flush to my ass, his fingers working expertly on my member. I gasped, trying to breathe and calm my thrashing heart as he pulled away, forcing a whine off of my lips when he leaned over my knees, pressing a kiss to my neck. I shivered, my arms struggling to keep me up as he nipped just on the underside of my jaw.

"Lay down, Drake. Let me take care of you," he said, one of his hands sliding flat against my chest, pushing me back down into the sea of blankets.

Adam lips left a burning, wet trail down my chest and to my groin, his breath fanning against me. I lifted my hips, my erection bumping and sliding gently against his lips. He opened them enough to wrap them around the head, his tongue lashing out to tease the slit. I arched, crying out lightly. My legs, shaking, fell away and spread themselves out, knees bent slightly.

His hands curled over my thighs, holding them down as his head slid down, swallowing me deeper and deeper. But it wasn't fast enough. It wasn't rough enough. I lifted my hips again, forcing myself deeper, hitting the back of his throat. He did not falter or choke; he simply swallowed and took me even deeper. I cried out, arching deeply, my hands reaching out to thread themselves into his hair, and I tightened, pulling hard.

Adam growled around my erection, his teeth scraping the skin and making me writhe. I tugged on his hair again, thrusting my hips up into his throat. We were caught between Adam sucking me off and me fucking his mouth, but it was a perfect blend of both that had Adam moaning— simply because he couldn't do much else— and myself on the verge of screaming, stars dancing over my vision every time he teased my slit.

"Fuck, Adam, fuck! So fucking good.. mm, Ra, shit, shit, shit!" I hissed, bringing his head down as my hips came up. His lips made contact with my groin repeatedly, and I felt the tension of my release building up in the base of my spine, tightening and tightening. Constant moans were falling from my lips and I wanted to punch Adam in the face when his hands held me down and he pulled off of me.

"Adam, fuck, please, don't…" I whimpered, but he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to my neck, silencing me.

"Let me take care of you. I know what I'm doing, baby… But you can't come yet," he whispered, squeezing the base of my erection, forcing my orgasm back. I whined, bucking into his hand, trying to get friction. But he pulled it away before I could get anything satisfactory.

"Adam, please, baby, I.. I need you, I need.." I whined softly, my hands curling over his shoulders, pulling him down into a hot, dirty kiss. His tongue split the seam of my lips, and I could taste the saltiness of precome as well as the entire essence of my being. I moaned, digging my nails into the flesh of his shoulders. Adam groaned quietly, fucking my mouth with his tongue as he pushed me back down, hovering over me, his knees straddling my hips.

After a moment, Adam pulled away, causing another sharp whine to leave my mouth, and he smirked at me, "Calm down, baby… Let me take care of you, tonight. You're gonna feel so good…" He whispered in my ear, his tongue reaching out and briefly dipping into the shell of my ear. I whined again, shivering as he nipped at my ear for a moment before pressing soft, butterfly kisses to my jaw, throat and shoulders.

I tilted my head back, exposing more of my throat to him, offering up my skin to mark and claim for his own, and he did without a moment's hesitation. Adam's teeth dug into the flesh of my neck, dragging out moans and hisses of pained pleasure from within me as he sucked sweetly. My hands tightened, nails curling deeper into his shoulders, pulling him closer to me. But I needed more of him. I needed to feel him in all the ways I'd known before.

Adam's hands slid down my sides, resting firmly at my hips as he sucked on different spots of my neck, sending shivers up and down my spine. My nerves felt like they were constantly being hit with electric shocks, each one more intense than the last. His hands trailed hot and heavy down my thighs before crawling back up, his lips pressing tight to the underside of my jaw. My eyes slipped shut and I moaned quietly, smiling faintly as his hands pushed my thighs apart.

"I love you," he whispered into my skin. Chuckled, I turned my head, catching his lips in a gentle kiss.

"I love you," I replied into his mouth, feeling him nudge a finger into my entrance, sliding it in slowly.

No matter how much I'd had sex, no matter how rough or soft I liked it, I always tensed and I always forgot to breathe. I forgot the things that should have, practically, been second nature to me. Because when Adam pushed that single finger in, my vision went fuzzy and my mouth opened in a sharp gasp, my back raising off the bed slightly. And then I remembered that I needed to let out this breath and calm down, and I slumped back into the sheets, moaning quietly.

Adam kissed me sweetly, moving the digit slowly, working me open. I whimpered into the kiss, sliding my hands up into his hair and pulled, rocking my hips to meet his touch. Adam pushed deeper, slipping a second finger into me. I arched again, deepening our kiss as his stretched, scissored and worked me open so slowly and sweetly.

"Adam, please, stop teasing…" I whimpered quietly as Adam pulled away from our kiss. He'd successfully shoved four fingers into me, fisting me slow and hard. The pace was torturous, but it was firm and nerve-tingling. Adam pressed a kiss to my lips again, thrusting his hand deep and nudging that spot inside of me, making me arch before he removed them.

"Adam, baby, please…" I said softly, my fingers tightening in his hair, bringing him closer to me. Adam smiled softly, kissing my cheek gently, reaching up and cupping my face tenderly in his hands.

"Drake, what did I tell you?" He whispered sweetly. I whimpered softly, dragging a kiss over his lips. I knew exactly what he was referring to, but this was on the verge of torturous for me. Adam had never been this slow, this sweet with me.

"I know, I know… You're taking care of me… Fuck, Adam, you're killing me…" I whined softly, kissing him again. Adam moaned softly, his tongue slipping out to taste mine in a brief swipe before he pulled away.

"I'm killing you?" He suggested, smiling slightly, leaving a kiss against my jaw. I moaned quietly, writhing beneath him. I lifted my hips, grinding briefly into his thigh, whining.

"Adam, please… Stop talking and just.." I groaned, grinding into him again. My hand curled around the back of his neck, pulling him down into a sloppy kiss. Adam moaned into my lips, his hands palming my face tenderly. He shifted above me, pushing my thighs apart with his knees before nestling between them, pressing into me. I gasped against his lips, kissing him hard as I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing him to slide in deep in one, swift and hard thrust.

Stars danced over my vision, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I moaned softly. Adam's hands dropped from my face and curled around my hips, holding me steady before letting me adjust to the sudden change. My hands fell away from his hair, falling to my sides again as Adam bent his head, kissing my lips so tender and brief that I wasn't sure if he really kissed me at all.

He thrust his hips once, rocking inside of me. I gasped quietly, moaning as the burn of pain and stretching began to subside to something richer, sweeter and far more pleasurable. My head lolled to the side, eyes closed and my mouth open in soft, almost silent moans. Shivers were firing up and down my body at electrifying rates, leaving me chilled yet burning.

"Adam…" I moaned under my breath as Adam rocked into me again, nudging that spot inside of me. My back curved, lifting off of the bed slightly as he rocked into it again. I bit down on my bottom lip, my hands curling and fisting the blankets slightly, whimpers of pleasure filling the confines of the wide and open chamber. They were bouncing off the walls, coming back in distant echo.

Adam groaned quietly, pressing kisses to the side of my neck and along my collarbones as he pushed and pulled slowly, moving so slow… I wanted to pull his hair and have him fuck me hard, but something was whispering into my ear that, even if I offered myself on a silver platter, open and begging like a whore, he'd still take me slow.

But I couldn't complain… These slow thrusts were pulsing, hitting deeper, lingering longer. My body was burning from my head to my toes, sweat sliding off of my skin as Adam nipped the side of my throat, licking the saltiness of my sweat away. I moaned again, eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, mouth open slightly. Adam trailed his tongue along my lower lip before he kissed me sweetly, thrusting into me again.

My hands came up around his neck as he kissed me, my legs tightening, pulling him deeper and holding him there for a moment, forcing that spot right up into my lungs. Each breath had me moaning and shaking, quietly begging for more. Adam pecked my lips before kissing my neck again, pulling out enough to slam back in, so slow and so hard. I arched, my chest flush against his, our sweat mingling together between our bodies.

"Adam…" I moaned quietly as Adam shifted, wrapping his arms around my waist as he sat, briefly on his knees before falling onto his back, still buried inside of me. Gravity forced me down farther on him, sending him deeper. My back arched against his knees, which were drawn up like supports behind me, his hands on my hips. I cried out, my hands palming over his and I moved against him, moaning gently.

Adam arched slightly, his head tilted back as he thrust up into me, hitting my prostate and making me wail. This angle was always so perfect, so sensual and memorable. I bit down on my bottom lip, whining softly as Adam's slow pace picked up a little, his thrusts harder. By no means was this in the pace of our more animalistic and rough love making, but it was harder and, slightly, faster than it was before.

I moaned behind my teeth, which were hooked into my lip, chewing on it till, I was sure, it was bruised. But I didn't care. There was something so erotic about the way Adam was fucking me. It was different than the first few times, those years ago, when he was being gently. And it sure as hell was different than some of our more intense and hard nights, but… I liked this. No, I loved this… I loved him…

"Baby…" Adam whispered, his hand sliding off of my hip and curling around my member. I bucked into his hand, throwing off the rhythm for a second before melting back into it, thrusting into his hand in time with his own thrusts into me, the dual sensations pulling a never-ending string of moans and whines from my lips.

"Adam, I.. I'm— I'm gon'… Fuck, fuck! Adam, more.. more, more, more, fuck, please…" I whimpered, panting for breath as Adam grunted, thrusting harder, a little faster, twisting his wrist and swiping his thumb over the slit. I arched deeply, crying out, my fingers sliding between the spaces of his on my hip. I reached up, palming my other hand over his on my erection, tightening the pressure, controlling his movements.

It was like we were one person. In total control of one another, moaning at the same time, breathing together, loving together. Our hands tightened around my hand when my body tightened around Adam. Our heads fell back, our throats growling with moans and I barely noticed it when Adam began to thrust faster, dipping less from sensual and more into crazed. I was only aware of hearing him moaning my name and his hand tightening around my member.

"Adam… Adam! Adam, I'm… I'm…" I whined softly, panting and moaning quietly as Adam slammed into me over and over, hitting my prostate and making my heart skip beats with eat pulse. His hand tightened, thumb swiping over and over on my slit, making me scream.

" _Adam!_ " My back arched, my body rigid for a moment as I came. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. I couldn't think. But my nerves were on fire and I could feel the exact moment were Adam shuddered, coming into me. I could feel the surge of him pulsing, hot and sticky inside of me, coating me. I could feel him moaning, though I couldn't hear it. I panted softly, blinking, seeing only white as I fell forward, my face buried into Adam's neck.

His arms wound around my waist as he pulled out, tugging a soft whine from my lips as he did so. I blinked repeatedly, trying to see, but found myself still unable. Adam rolled me onto my back, cleaning me off before pulling me into his arms, pressing kisses to my hair as my sense of hearing and sight gradually came back to me.

"You okay, baby?" He asked quietly, touching my face with the tips of my fingers. I blinked again, smiling softly before leaving a kiss to those fingers.

"Yes… That..was incredible.." I told him, looking up at him with a tired smile on my face. He grinned back, leaning down and kissing me sweetly. I moaned, unwilling to move despite wanting to pull him closer to me. There was little to no tongue, and the kiss was short, gentle, leaving me smiling wider.

"I'm glad.. I tried my damndest to keep myself from just bending you over and fucking you senseless…" He admitted, and I felt my face heat up with a blush. He smiled, kissing my cheek gently.

"As much as I love you fucking me senseless… I really liked this.." I said softly. Adam blinked once, a smile tugging at his lips and I knew that he was pleased not only with himself for doing good but for the fact that I admitted that I enjoyed it. Adam knew me. When it came to sex, I liked it rough and I liked it fast; dirty, even. And to know that I could also like— well, more like love— slow and passionate, that just opened up doors upon doors of opportunities for us.

"Good… I'm so happy you enjoy it," he whispered, kissing my hairline, "My beautiful baby… All mine," I smiled, blushing.

"Yours…" I whispered, exhaustion washing over my body.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter Twelve: Thousands Will Enter, Few (if any) Will Win  
Tommy's POV**

The wedding was beautiful. All of the decorations were gorgeous. The music was orgasmic and the food was to die for. Adam was shining as always but Drake? Drake stole the show. I never knew men could be _that_ beautiful. Dolling him up for his wedding was nothing compared to actually seeing him in his wedding. He outshined Adam like he was commoner. He truly was a God and today he proved it.

I felt like crying because in all of Drake's beauty, I couldn't have him. He was completely and solely Adam's now and I didn't want to face that. I knew I would have to but, for tonight, I enjoyed the beautiful smile that continuously spread itself across Drake's face. I enjoyed stealing him away from his groom long enough to share a wonderful dance with him. I enjoyed the food and socializing with wonderful people. Spending most of my time with Drake's family and Cassidy. When I didn't think about what tonight truly represented I had a good time.

But as the day melted into dusk and then into the inky blackness of night, I lost my will to party. Drake and Adam disappeared into the palace to, no doubt, spend the rest of their wedding night growing to know each other even more intimately. It was hard to imagine that they could even accomplish that, but I was positive that's what they were doing. Even without Drake and Adam, the party continued. Let me just tell you, Egyptians knew how to fucking party.

After a while, I just wasn't feeling it anymore. I didn't want to interact with anyone. I didn't want to dance and I didn't want to eat anymore food. I was sitting on the backside of the fountain, starring out at the rest of the garden. "Hey," Amelia said softly, coming up to sit beside me. I was a little shocked but I smiled at her, giving her as much attention as I could manage.

"Hey," I said to her, smiling faintly. She smiled back before frowning just a little..

"Why are you over here all by yourself? Why aren't you out partying with the rest of us?" she asked, looking like she wanted to put a hand on my shoulder but was too afraid to. Drake's family had gotten a lot of respect since coming to live in the palace, but most of them were still intimidated by me.

"I'm…" I sighed. Part of it was because I was slowly slipping into depression but another part was because I was actually not feeling too great. My head was beginning to pound and my stomach, just a little too full, was beginning to twist and cramp. "I'm just not feeling too well…" I told her, deciding to only be half truthful with her.

She frowned a little. "You do look… a little pale…" she said, reaching out to place a hand against my forehead. Her hand was cold to my burning flesh and I wondered if I felt just as hot to her. "You're burning up, honey…" she whispered, her lips pulling down into a tighter frown.

"Really?" I asked, sighing softly and running my fingers through my fringe of hair.

"Yeah…" she whispered, her hand falling away from my face. "Maybe you should go inside and get some rest?" he asked. "Staying out in the cold probably isn't helping you once…"

I frowned, nodding something. "Yeah… I suppose I probably should," I said, smiling softly in Drake's sister's direction. She was a beautiful girl. She almost made me wish that I was into pussy more than I really was… "Thank you, Amelia," I added, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. I move to stand up but she gripped my arm firmly, keeping me from walking away from her.

"Tommy?" she asked quietly. I looked back at her, meeting her bright blue eyes. She looked just like Drake… Just with longer hair and more curves. "There's more than just not feeling good, isn't there?" she asked, frowning at me. "Is it… my brother?" I felt my face heat up a little and not from fever.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked quietly, frowning some. "About Drake, you mean?"

"Drake, yes…" she whispered. "I see the way you look at him…" Fuck. "And knowing your relationship with him, after Pharaoh- Adam- so kindly told us that you and Drake were his pleasure servants… You and Drake have, obviously, been intimate with one another. It's hard not to develop feelings for something you are repeatedly exposed to… I know that a little more than I should but that's besides the point…" She looked away, a soft blush rushing across her cheeks, before looking back at me. "You love my brother, don't you?"

Again, I blushed like wildfire. "Yes…" I whispered softly. "I am in love with him but he's Adam's… Ever since the day he was brought here, he's been Adam. That man stole Drake's heart right out of his chest. I can't really blame Drake for falling in love with Adam but I'm…" I bit my lip hard enough to bruise it. "I'm really jealous of Adam. He's my friend and I hate feeling like this towards him but I'm so jealous that he gets to have your brother forever." It felt way too good to finally get all of this off of my chest.

She smiled slightly. "Drake tends to do that to a lot of people," she said softly. "He never noticed it when he lived at home with us, but boys and girls alike were always all over him. I know he probably didn't even have his first kiss until he came here but dozens of people wanted the chance to be his first…" she whispered. My heart clenched in my chest because, like all of the people that had fallen for Drake without him realizing it, I wasn't allowed to have him. "I know he's a great guy and I can see the love for him in your eyes but… Tommy, you have to believe that there is someone else out there that will give you all of their love."

"I know… I know I have to keep thinking that I'll find someone but it's so hard when my thoughts never drift away from him…" I admitted. Now that one tiny thing about my feelings for Drake to someone, everything was spilling out. It felt great to get everything off of my chest but my headache was getting worse and worse. "I can't ever get him off my mind. He even invades all of my dreams and now he's married… to the Pharaoh of Egypt…"

She bit her lip for a moment. "Have you ever told Drake how you felt?" she asked.

"Yeah…" I said. She seemed really shocked. "And he always said that he loved me too but his love for Adam was just more than his love for me. Drake and I are as close as two people can be, in friendship, but Adam somehow always had control of his heart. Or maybe he just has control of everyone else's heart and Adam and I are just his victims…" She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"Drake does seem to do that to people…" she mused, a light smirk playing on her lips. "I was really shocked when we were brought here because he was getting married. He always seemed like the boy who would unintentionally make people's hearts ache but never choose to be with someone. I know you're in pain right now, Tommy, but Drake does love you. He's told me how important you are to him. He feels bad about hurting you… I know he does, but…"

"I don't blame him for marrying Adam. I always thought I would fall in love with Adam but that feeling never came. Not until Drake showed up in the palace. Then I crashed hard and so did Adam…" I said, sounding kind of miserable and pathetic. If I was in Amelia's position, I probably would have punched myself in the face. "I don't blame him at all, I just don't know how to handle him, truly, belonging to Adam forever. I don't know how to stop thinking about Drake…" _Not to mention having sex with Drake._

Amelia leaned forward, pressing her lips to my burning forehead. "I know you love him but the best thing to do is continue being his closest friend. Drake needs you whether you believe that or not. Love with come for you again, sooner than you expect, I'm sure. For now? Go inside and lay down. Get some rest and get better because you look really sick. Get yourself a good night's sleep and don't worry about anything for now."

I smiled slightly, nodding at her. "Thanks, Amelia… I know listening to me whining was probably not the most fun thing in the world, but it helped a lot," I told her.

"You're welcome, Tommy. Now go off to bed before you fall asleep right here," she said in a do-it-or-else tone. I chuckled and stood up slowly. The area around me began to spin and closing my eyes only made it worse. The first couple of steps made me feel like I was going to tumble into the earth and just lay there. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to be able to make it all the way back to my room by myself but I didn't want to ruin everyone else's good time by asking for help.

I didn't even make it to the doors leading back into the palace before Cassidy was at my side. "Are you alright, Tommy?" he asked, snaking an arm around my waist. I was thankful for it, more so then I first realized. I leaned into him, using him as a support to my fatigued being.

"I'm not feeling too hot and I just want to go lay down," I told him, laying my head against his shoulder. Cassidy sighed, holding me close to him as he pulled me into the palace and down the winding and twists halls towards my chambers.

"Do you want me to tell Adam and Drake?" he asked, his hands rubbing my upper arms gently in attempts to sooth me.

"No, Cass, no. Please don't tell them. Not tonight anyone. I just haven't been sleeping well and I just need to get a good night's sleep," I told him. "Besides, it's their wedding night. Don't interrupt the passionate love making you know they're doing right now just because I have a headache," I added. Cassidy sighed but nodded. The rest of the walk seemed to take forever. It made me think back to the second day Drake was here. After losing his virginity and how long it took to walk him down to the bathrooms because he was in so much pain.

Eventually my bedroom came into view and Cassidy pulled me over to the door, pushing it open. He took me over to my bed and pushed me into it. "Take your shirt off," he instructed. I gave him a strange look and he merely rolled his eyes. "You're burning up, Tommy and you need to cool down. I'm going to get you a cool washcloth for your forehead and some medicine." I smiled softly at him as he turned away from me. His eyes lingered on Drake's mural for a moment. Even though I saw it every day, it's beauty still caught me off guard. It did that to almost everyone who saw it…

Just another way Drake was forever imprinted onto my brain.

I sighed deeply, stripping out of my shirt and trousers. I still felt incredibly hot despite the cool air rushing over my bare skin. Whatever I was sick with, I knew it wasn't just fatigue, but I didn't want to tell anyone that, especially not on Drake and Adam's wedding night! Drake and Adam deserved one night all to themselves without them worrying about me. I was not about to ruin their special night because I was fighting a cold or something.

Some time passed before Cassidy came back into my room. I was half asleep, my heat throbbing right behind my eyes. "Tommy?" Cassidy whispered, walking over to me.

I groaned, shaking my head softly. "Hm?" I mumbled. He had me sit up slowly.

"Take these," he whispered, pressing a couple of pills to my lips. "Open." I obeyed, opening my lips enough to take the pills in. He raised a glass of water to my lips and I took a swallow, taking the pills easily getting them down. Cassidy pushed me back into the mattress. He placed a cold, moist wash cloth over my forehead and kissed my cheek gently. "Rest. I'll come check on you in the morning and if you aren't doing any better, I'm telling Adam and Drake and you are going to see a doctor." I whined but didn't argue with him. There wasn't a point to arguing with him because I knew I wasn't going to win the fight either way and I was slipping over the edge of exhaustion.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter Thirteen: When All The Lights Go Out Across These City Streets**

 **Adam's POV**

I woke up the next morning, a sense of euphoria blanketing over my body, with Drake lazily running his fingers through my hair. I blinked once, seeing the faint glow of his skin as the light came in through the windows, making his hair shine and his body radiate happiness. I smiled softly at him when he bent his head, pressing his lips to mine in a gently kiss. The moan was unstoppable, of course. But Drake didn't seem to mind as we pulled away, his fingers continuing to play with my hair.

"Morning, love," he whispered quietly, smiling at me. I smiled back, tiredly, reaching up to touch his cheek with my fingertips. He tilted his head into the touch, purring quietly like he was a cat. My pretty kitty…

"Morning," I said back, my voice soft and gentle. Drake's eyes were glistening with happiness as they flickered back and forth between mine. He curled up beside me again, tucking his head under my chin, his arms wrapping themselves around my waist. I shifted, curling one arm around him, the other reaching up to run gently through his hair.

I turned my head, pressing a tender kiss to his forehead as my fingers twisted themselves through his hair, the pads sliding against the silky, chocolate threads. Drake shifted, placing a palm against my chest, resting it right over my heart. I could feel it beating into his hand, bouncing back. Steady, strong and in so much love it wasn't even really funny. I smiled slightly to myself.

"So why're you up so early, baby?" I asked him quietly, letting my eyes slip shut out of relaxation. I'd expected Drake to sleep in a little longer. Sure, our love making hadn't been that rough last night, but sex was still a tender action that could leave, at least, a little stiffness. But he was up before me— which was rare in and of itself— and I was just curious as to why.

"Hmm?" Drake mused, tilting his head to look up at me, "Oh… Well…" He sighed heavily, shifting his head a little so that he was tucked back under my chin, just in the curve of my throat, "I just… I don't know. I woke up with these mixed feelings. On the one hand I was incredibly happy and just.. feeling amazing. I mean, we're _married_ now, and last night was..incredible," I blushed deeply and smiled, suddenly thankful that Drake wasn't looking up at me anymore to see it.

"But.. I had this feeling of worry, or dread. Like, there's something wrong, but I'm too busy being happy to really care about it, or something," he said, and my smile began to fade away. Why would Drake feel worried? Unless—

"Tommy?" I suggested, my voice soft. Almost hesitant at the idea of bringing him up. Tommy had been looking sickly for the past couple of weeks, and that made me nervous. Nervous because I'd seen that before. That gradual fatigue that just worsened and worsened, the paleness in the skin. The lack of an appetite and sluggish movements. All of that had happened to Alexander…

Oh, Ra, was Tommy falling ill with fever? Did this mean that another wave was going to pass through, claiming the lives of more of my people? More of those I cared about? I swallowed the lump in my throat, holding Drake tightly to my chest while trying to appear and seem as calm and relaxed as possible. But I couldn't be relaxed, wondering if Tommy was sick.

"Y-yeah… You've seen him, Adam. He doesn't look good. He hasn't been looking or feeling well for the past couple of weeks…" Drake commented quietly. I could feel his heart beating against my side; it was faster than normal, frantic. I bit down on my bottom lip, turning my head to kiss his forehead.

"I know, baby. I've been worried about him, too. But he always claims that he's fine, that he's just tired. But I don't think that he's only _just_ tired, you know? There's something more to it." I said, slowly rubbing Drake's back, "It's obvious that he's sick, or, getting sick." I finished, licking my lips. Drake shivered slightly against my side at the idea of Tommy being ill.

"Is… is it a fever?" He asked quietly, lifting his head to look up at me. I sighed softly, resting my cheek against his forehead. I didn't like the idea. In fact, I hated the idea. I hated it because I was afraid. Well, that was an understatement. I was terrified. Tommy wasn't Alexander in my heart, but he was still close to me. He was my best friend. And I knew that Drake loved him dearly. And, if Tommy had a fever…

"I hope not, Drake… I hope not." I told him, pressing kiss to his forehead again. Drake let out a long heavy breath, curling his arms tightly around me like I was the last thing left in this life. Part of me did not wish it, but I imagined that, without his family and without Tommy, I would be…

And for how long, truly? How long would I have left in this life before going on into the After? How long until I abandoned Drake for Death and the Next. How long… I sighed quietly, letting my eyes slip shut. I tried to shove away the thoughts of passing on and leaving Drake, but knowing that Tommy was sick made me fear my own passing. It made me fear of what would become of Drake if I were to leave too soon…

No, I couldn't think like that. There was no sense in it, and I mentally shook my head before kissing Drake's hair. He tilted his head up, looking at me as I opened my eyes. I reached up, touching his cheek gently with the pads of my fingertips. He leaned into the caress, smiling warmly at me before I bent my head, kissing him sweetly.

"I want to see him," Drake whispered against my lips, and my hand froze in mid-cup of his face. I frowned for a brief moment before understanding that it was Tommy he wished to see. I licked my lips, nodding once.

Getting out of bed was a bit of a chore, considering the warmth and comfort of our embrace as well as Drake's sore body. Sure, I'd been gentler with him last night than most other times, but he was sore in different, new areas. Places that were familiar to him but not worked to the extent of others. But we bathed and dressed, wearing similar trousers and vests. Drake's tattoos were still dark and beautiful in contrast to his skin, his hair pulled into its lopsided ponytail.

I bent my head, kissing his lips quickly, my hair falling around my face. It'd gotten longer over the years, hanging in shaggy waves around my chin, just grazing my shoulders. I was due for a trim, as was Drake. But we never seemed to take the time to get it done. Drake moaned quietly, smiling softly as a blush crept over his skin. I took his hand in mine, pulling him across the stone flooring of our chamber, sandals slapping sweetly as I pushed open the door, stepping out into the bright, early morning.

There were a few people wandering about; laundry boys and girls tending to linens, women and children carrying food to kitchens and back to their own chambers for breakfasts or snacks. Each as they passed, Drake and I gave them. Each returned with a warm, comforting grin of their own and, perhaps, for various reasons.

My arm was curled around Drake's waist, holding him close to me as we walked. His was around mine, partially, his hand pressed flat against the small of my back, his head leaning slightly into my shoulder. I smiled slightly down at him, turning a corner as the sun beat through the archways of the hall, pouring in and illuminating the paintings and stories of eras past.

We turned another corner, and I could see the door to Tommy's room down near the end of the hallway. My heart skipped a beat in my chest in anticipation. Would he be better? Would he have gotten worse? I bit down lightly on my bottom lip as Drake's arm tensed around me. I didn't want to believe that Tommy had gotten any worse than last night, or the past few days, but was it not possible? What if he really did have the fever that Alex had…

Drake and I stopped at his door, both of us hesitant to even touch it, let alone go inside. But Drake had wanted to see Tommy, to check on him and see how he was doing, even if he wasn't any better. I turned, inhaling slowly as I looked down at Drake. His face was pale and he looked fearful and worried. I couldn't blame him in the least.

He reached forward, curling his hand at first before stopping, inches from knocking. He licked his lips, dropping his hand and grabbed the door handle, pushing it open. I let go of him as he stepped forward into Tommy's room. I felt myself take a breath, but I did not let it out as the door swung open wide. That breath, though, did not stay in my chest long…

The room was well lit because of the windows, the walls and floors glowing, Drake's painting like a work of the Gods. It should've been peaceful. It should have been lively. But it wasn't. It wasn't because when I looked towards the bed and saw Tommy, my heart plummeted through my feet.

He looked like Death.

Tommy's eyes looked, somewhat, sunken into his head, his face paler than normal. His eyelids were shadowed, bruised looking, barely open. His hair was in a sprawled mess around his face, the blanket curled lazily around his hips. He didn't look to be wearing anything, and, though, normally, the idea of Tommy being naked would excite me, today it didn't. He looked thin, I noticed. Before I'd never really paid attention because his clothes were loose enough that I couldn't tell. But seeing him so weak and frail made me cringe.

Tommy's head, itself, didn't move, but his eyes wandered slowly to us, looking dead and weak. Drake gasped beside me before rushing to Tommy's bedside, sitting down next to the blond. I watched Drake reach forward to push Tommy's hair out of his face, the normally-golden locks appearing almost grayish. But maybe that was my imagination…

"Tommy, baby…" Drake whispered, caressing the blond's cheeks tenderly with his artistic hands. Tommy remained still, trying to keep his eyes open, but he seemed unable. He looked, though, like he wanted to move and reach for Drake…

"Drake.." he whispered quietly, his brown eyes dull. I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling my heart clench in my chest. Drake inhaled slowly, his face pained and tears glistening in his eyes. My heart skipped a beat and I bit down on my bottom lip. Tommy just looked so weak and tired..

"Drake..don't cry…" Tommy whispered quietly, his voice trembling softly. Drake whimpered softly, running his fingers through Tommy's hair gently as I walked over towards them, kneeling down beside Tommy. His eyes shifted to mine, slow and tired.

"Adam.." I smiled weakly, feeling my throat close up as I reached over to feel his forehead; it was scalding hot. I whimpered quietly. Despite his body heat, there showed no signs of it breaking. I inhaled slowly, feeling my heart beginning to break as I leaned forward, kissing his forehead quickly.

"I'll be back in a moment," I whispered, standing to my feet and turning on my heel, walking out of the room. I wanted to stop and marvel at the mural, but I just couldn't do it. I needed to get out of the room before I started to cry. I needed to find Cassidy, anybody, to call a doctor. Tommy needed to get better. I wasn't going to stand by and watch him slip through mine and Drake's hands like Alex…


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter Fourteen: Sing About Everyone That You Left Behind  
Drake's POV**

I couldn't believe that I hadn't been aware of Tommy getting so sick earlier. I was so wrapped up in planning a wedding and being happy with Adam and, effectively, I had completely ignored my best friend. Seeing Tommy so white made me think of Anna's tiny corpse and my heart pushed its way up my throat, making me feel like I couldn't breathe.

Tommy couldn't die. It was a simple as that.

Anna was enough loss for one life time. I couldn't lose Tommy, too…

Tears sprung up into my eyes before I could even blink twice. Adam said he would be right back, but I wasn't really paying any attention. While I was making hot, passionate love with my new husband, my best friend was slipping into stages of sickness he shouldn't have reached. He should have gotten help when he first started feeling off… But he told me he was fine… He swore he was fine. Was he just lying to make sure my happiness wasn't disrupted? Damn it, Tommy, fuck!

Tommy kept telling me not to cry, but just hearing how hoarse he was made the tears come faster. I felt like I couldn't breathe, but I was almost positive that I was being a little too dramatic on that part. Tommy wasn't dead! He just needed a doctor, right? Somebody please say right…

But the way Adam had looked at Tommy… That look told me everything I didn't want to imagine. Adam had seen this before. Too many times, if his stories were true. I highly doubted Adam would have lied to me about his family and his former lover dying, so that left me with one conclusion: Tommy was falling ill with the fever that killed Adam's mother, little brother and lover. Did that really mean that Tommy was going to die, too?

I couldn't think about that. Thinking about Tommy dying was almost as horrible as thinking about Adam dying. I knew I would probably outlive them both, considering our age differences, but I wasn't ready to start losing everyone I cared about! And, not to fucking mention, I was way too fucking young to be a widower. Just throwing that out there.

"Drake… Drake, please, stop crying…" Tommy muttered pathetically, wiping my flowing tears away with the calloused pads of his fingers. His gesture wasn't as strong and confident as it normally would have been. His illness was roaming to all regions of his worn body.

"Don't tell me not to cry. If I had been paying more attention, we could have gotten you a doctor… medication… anything to stop this early on…" I whimpered. I was sitting with my legs pulled up onto the bed, next to Tommy and I was hovering just slightly over him. He stared up at me with his giant, chocolate eyes. They didn't have the spark they used to… and that scared me even more. What if he was getting sick because of me? Because of my marrying Adam? I know it doesn't really sound logical but when you lose your will to do something, like living, your body is much more susceptible to disease and ailments. What if marrying Adam was like the final straw for Tommy?

"This isn't your fault, baby…" he said, his eyes staring straight into mine. I couldn't hold his gaze. I felt too guilty for not seeing how sick he was before now. I would be the first to admit that I wasn't man enough to keep his gaze. Apparently Tommy didn't like that though. "Drake," he said sternly, despite his pathetic state. "Look at me, right now." I bit my lip, but I couldn't deny him, so I looked back.

"Tommy…" I began, but he shushed me almost immediately.

"I'm sick because of a virus, Drake. I was the one who was ignoring it, not you. I didn't want to believe I was getting sick, so I ignored it. This is completely my fault," he whispered, yet he sounded so strong. "Please stop crying. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

New tears stung my eyes and rained down my slight-but-not-really tan. "Don't make promises you can't keep, damn it!" I exclaimed, biting my lip hard enough to bruise on contact. "What am I supposed to do if you aren't okay?" You know something? I hate when people try to make crying something beautiful because crying is not fucking beautiful at all. Fluids stream from your eyes and your nose and it isn't a fucking beautiful sight! Sobbing in front of someone was not a beautiful sight either and I didn't want Tommy to see my like this, but I couldn't stop it. I wanted to leave and cry alone or into Adam's arms, but I couldn't leave Tommy…

A voice in the back of my mind told me that I shouldn't even be around Tommy. He had a fever that could kill and it was contagious. What if it spread to me? And what if I didn't notice that for a while and it spread to Adam? Then I would be responsible for ending myself and my husband, who just happened to be the king of Egypt.

Most of my heart and brain decided that I simply didn't care if I got sick to. I needed to be with Tommy, now, because I wasn't there for him before… I was too caught up in the fact that I was getting married and that I was happy. What else had I missed over the last few weeks that normally would have been extremely important for me to know?

"Drake, I wouldn't lie to you, would I?" he asked quietly, cupping my soaked cheek in one hand. Usually when he touched me, I could feel a warm, sizzling spark that told me how much he loved being with me. Today there was no spark. "Would I?" he repeated, slightly louder, when I didn't answer.

"If you thought you were protecting me? Yes, I believe you would…" I whispered back. "You've always had a thing about protecting me and… kind of treating me like a child…" I added, turning my head to nuzzle my face into his hand.

He smiled weakly and he tried to pushed himself up but I held him down, running my fingers through his sticky hair. He looked pained but he understood my silent message. I just wanted him to recover and over exerting himself was not going to get that accomplished. "I can't help but treat you like a baby. You're too precious to take chances with…" Tommy said, coughing some. I frowned, forcing myself not to cringe away from the infectious breath.

"Tommy… That's ridiculous…" I whispered, new tears springing up into my eyes.

"No it isn't, Drake," he started, his eyes hard and serious, yet full of love and compassion. Only minutes ago his chocolate eyes were hard, cold and almost unfeeling but now they were the melted pools that I always adored. "Look around you. You don't realize what an impact you have because you're modest. You were raised that way." He paused to take a few, even and deep breaths. "Drake, everyone in this palace loves you. Adam is absolutely nuts about you. He can't ever stop thinking about you. Neither can I…"

"Tom-" He was determined not to let me get a word in edge wise.

"But it isn't just Adam and I, Drake. It's Cassidy, your family, servants who hardly know who you are. You brighten everyone's day when you're in a good mood. And, when you're crying like this-" he wiped my tears away again. "-it brings just a little more sadness to an already sad situation. You are too precious to gamble with. I'd rather treat you like a baby until your ninety than let something bad happened to you."

I stared at him in disbelief. He had just, effectively, told me that I was more important than a lot of people but surely that couldn't be true… "I…" He smiled up at me again and, for a moment, he looked healthy.

"You shouldn't even be in here, Drake. Being in here is going to expose you to whatever illness I've come down with. I don't want you getting sick too, especially not right after your wedding," he said, shooing me away. "I'll baby you even when I'm stuck in bed. I swear to it," he told me.

"Well, that's too damned bad for you because I'm not going anywhere," I replied, wiping my remaining tears away with the heels of my palms. "See, yesterday, when I gave myself to Adam I, basically, became Queen of Egypt." That sounded fucking weird. I do have a penis, for those of you who don't believe that. "And as such, I don't have to listen to a damned thing you say. Don't make me hold that over you, Tommy. I don't want to, but I will…"

"Adam won't like you being with me, Drake. Me being sick is bad enough. If you get sick? Adam won't have any clue on how to function. He'd, basically, not do anything until you got better and, if you didn't get better… He wouldn't recover from it. He lost a lover once. If he loses you, there won't be anything else left for him." I blinked, staring wide-eyed at my friend. Would Adam actually give up on life if he lost me like he lost Alexander? Part of me thought that was completely absurd but the majority of my reason told me that Tommy was one-hundred percent correct.

"Look, Tommy, I should have been paying more attention to you over the last few weeks. I was just so wrapped up in becoming the perfect… bride… that I didn't really think about anything else and that was so selfish of me. I don't want to leave you when you're in so much pain already," I said to him, taking one of his hands firmly into mine. "And Adam can't tell me what to do. He's not my master anymore."

Tommy's eyes swelled with moisture and, for a moment, I thought I had said something that upset him. He was smiling though, so he couldn't have really been that upset. "I'd never forgive myself if you got sick too, Drake…" he whispered, a couple of tears spilling over the rims of his darkened lids. "I'd feel so guilty."

"And I feel guilty right _now_. Tommy, I'm not going anywhere when you need me." I ran the fingers of my free hand through Tommy's grayish-dull locks, resting my head against his scorching forehead. He must have had a fever of one-hundred four, at the very least. "I'm not going anywhere and, even if you want to baby me, you don't have the means to right now."

A slight blush rushed over Tommy's paper white cheeks. "You really are sent from a better world, aren't you?" he whispered, smiling as brightly as a person as ill as he was could possibly manage. "You'd really risk getting yourself sick just to be here with me?" he asked.

"Tommy, I would give my life for you, just like you would for me," I replied, my eyes softening to what many people described as "the calm before the storm". That didn't make any sense to me. I think some people in the palace tried to make me seem scarier than I really was. In reality, I wasn't terrifying at all. I was five foot eight and skinny as fuck. Who was I going to beat up? Honestly?

"But I'd give my life for you because of how important you are… How much I love you," he whispered, his chapped lips pulling apart as if they had begun to fuse together. I frowned, petting his hair again.

"And I would die for you for the exact same reasons, Tommy," I muttered, smiling as much as I could manage in a situation like this one. "Don't start making yourself out to be worthless. Remember, I will smite you." He laughed but it erupted into a mini coughing fit.

I frowned, closing my eyes for a moment. I wanted to think that if I hadn't gotten sick from Tommy yet, that I just wasn't going to, but I hadn't been spending much time with Tommy lately and the truth was, I could very well contract this fever. There was no doubt in my mind that Tommy was worth it, but what about Adam? What would happen to him if I really did fall ill?

"I love you, Drake…" Tommy whispered once his coughing had died down and he had time to recover somewhat.

I bit my lip, turning my attention back to the suffering blond. "I love you too, Tommy. So much…" I whispered. Not a moment later, Adam walked through the door with Cassidy, a servant holding a few wash clothes and a bowl of water, and a man who I assumed to be a doctor.

Adam walked over to the side of the bed and took my hands, pulling me away from the bed so the doctor and servant boy could get to Tommy efficiently. I frowned, not wanting to leave him, but Adam was pulling me towards the door. I shot Tommy and apologetic look that told him I would be back soon, but I wasn't sure if he saw me.

Once we were in the corridor and a little ways away from the room, Adam stopped walking and gently pushed me into the wall. "You know this is hurting me as much as it's hurting you," he began, a tight frown stretching his lips southward. "I hate seeing Tommy like this, but the fact of the matter is that he is sick and I'm almost positive it's the same fever that my family and Alexander fell ill with…"

"I know, Adam," I said gently, staring up at him.

He sighed deeply, closing the distance between us. "Drake, honey… I know you love him and that you want to be with him to comfort him and help him, but I don't want you being around him when he's like this…" he said, almost hesitantly.

"Excuse me?" I asked, a sudden flare sparking. I stepped away from the wall, putting my hands on my hips. "Adam, you can't keep me from seeing Tommy. He can't just be alone all the time. Neither of us have been paying him any mind lately and that needs to change. I won't let him suffer by himself," I said sternly. "And you have no right to tell me I can and cannot do. You may be a Pharaoh, Adam, but I am not your servant anymore. We're _equals_ now."

Adam bit his lip. "I know that, Drake… I'm not commanding you to stay away from him, I'm asking you to. I…" He bit his lip again. "It's selfish, I know, but I can't watch you fall ill too. I cannot lose you, Drake, I can't."

"Is this about me, or is it about losing Alexander?" I asked him, frowning. His eyes widened slightly. "You need to understand that I'm _not_ Alexander. I'm not going to die like he did, Adam!"

"This has nothing to do with Alexander, Drake! I just want you to be safe because I love you too much to watch you suffer like Alex did. I love you too much to let the Afterlife take you away from me!" he cried, stepping forward to wrap his arms around me and pull me close. My hands fell away from my hips and I molded into Adam's frame. He was crying, at this point, I knew. Maybe I shouldn't have brought up Alexander, but I had to make my point…

"Adam…" I whispered, but he didn't seem to hear me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my toes to catch his lips with mine. He moaned quietly, kissing me back in a soft yet passionate kiss. "I love you baby. You know how much I love you. Yesterday was just a symbol of that, but I love Tommy too and he needs comfort if he's going to get better. I'll keep my visits as minimal as I can. I'll be careful, but I am not going to just not see him."

Adam's eyes seemed wary but he knew that I was going to win in the end. We didn't disagree on major issues too often, but when we did, I also won our "argument". "Alright Drake…. But you have to promise and swear to me right now that, if you start feeling sick or overly tired, you're going to tell me so we can get you checked out straight away."

I nodded softly, pressing my lips to his in one, gentle kiss. "I promise," I muttered against his lips.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter Fifteen: But I Just Can't Leave This Behind**

 **Tommy's POV**

Watching Drake cry in front of me just broke my heart. It was worse than the time, years ago, where he thought Adam was just using him and he ran away. It was worse than when we found out that Brad had been hurting him. It was so much worse than anything that had already happened to that poor boy, and to know that I couldn't do anything to help him— that I could only lie in my bed and, barely, touch his cheek to comfort him— it killed me.

I'd never wanted him to be this upset, especially over me. I didn't want him to be so miserable the day after my wedding. I couldn't be sure why he and Adam would have wanted to come see me, anyway. I mean, sure, I wasn't in top condition last night, but they hadn't really seemed to notice. They were too enthralled with one another, not that I could blame them. And I had no right to, really, be jealous…

But I was. Even lying sick in bed, I was jealous. Perhaps a little upset, too, when Adam took Drake by his hands and pulled him out of the room. I saw Drake shoot an apologetic towards me, but it was only the last few moments before Adam, practically, dragged him out of the room. My heart clenched in my chest as I watched him go before the sight of the doctor, the serving boy and Cassidy filled my vision.

The boy set the water bowl and cloths down on a small table beside my bed, dipping the fabric into the water before ringing them out and setting them on my forehead. I groaned softly, greatly appreciating the cool wetness of the rag. My skin felt hot and tight, and not from any sort of sexual drive. This kind of warm discomfort was something that I didn't want. Something that wouldn't leave me alone.

The doctor sat down on the edge of the bed beside me, pressing the back of his hand to my cheek before pulling away to fumble with the items in his bag that he brought. He was elderly with graying black hair and a dark, burnt sort of tan. Thin wrinkles sat around his eyes and his mouth, a naturally set-in frown on his lips. He'd dealt with much misfortune in his life, I could tell.

He pulled out a small, metallic thermometer, slipping it between my lips for, perhaps, no more than a few seconds. With the technology advancements made in the last few decades or so, thermometers had become more accurate in their readings and only took a few moments to gather the necessary information for said readings. The thermometer beeped once and he plucked it from my lips, reading it carefully before sighing once.

The man pulled out a small bottle, uncapping it once before dipping the thermometer in it for a second, no doubt to sterilize it again before he closed everything up, pushing them back into the folds of his bag as he removed a syringe, clear bottle and a wide, metallic tube that clicked with things inside of it. I frowned softly, feeling my eyelids wanting to droop shut. I wanted to sleep.

"Well, son," he began, stabbing the needle of the syringe into the bottle, pulling the plunger back as he filled the barrel with a clear sort of liquid about half way. He set the syringe aside, reaching into his bag again, "you have a fever, that much is obvious. However, as to whether or not this is fatal, I still have yet to find out." He explain, pulling a thin strip of elastic out, wrapping it tightly above my elbow to cut off the blood flow to my arm and expose a vein.

A soft groan fell from my lips and I turned my head away, feeling my heart clench in my chest again. My mind thought back to when Adam was in here, earlier, and the look in his eyes that he got when he saw me. I knew that he was afraid that I was going to die. And I knew that he was afraid I'd get Drake sick, and that Drake would die. My heart seized again, skipping a beat at the idea of Drake getting sick.

Sure, he'd said he'd die for me, and that meant the world to me. But I had not lied when I said that, if he were to die, there would be nothing left for Adam. Adam had no more biological family. And if Drake died, I knew he would never find the will to love again. To lose one lover was bad enough, but to lose two? It would crush him. He would cease to be. Just as I would be if I survived this and Drake did not…

When the vein was prominent enough, the doctor lifted the syringe into his grasp, gently poking it into my skin before pressing the plunger down, injecting me with the medicine that he'd filled. The servant boy lifted the rag away from my forehead, refreshing it with cold water before setting it back onto my skin. Cassidy stood at the foot of the bed, watching over me as the doctor did his work.

"This is not the first call I've gotten, though, it _is_ the first one I've gotten for the palace. It seems that there is another outbreak in the city; lots of young children and elderly folk coming down with the fever. Some worse than others…" He mumbled softly, sterilizing the needle of the syringe before setting it back into his back. He rubbed the puncture mark of my arm once before taking up the metallic tube. He opened it quickly, dumping out a thin white pill into his palm.

He shifted the pill to his fingers, holding the tablet to my lips. I opened them slowly, letting him place it on my tongue as the servant boy handed him a glass of water. He slid his hand under my head, lifting it up enough that I could drink water without spilling it or choking on it. I swallowed the water and the pill, thankful for the cool refreshment for my throat.

The servant boy helped me shift up the bed a little, rearranging my pillows so that I reclined against them, lying less horizontally. I was still comfortable and I could still sleep, but I was in a better position to drink and eat now than I was before. I sighed heavily, wanting to just pass out. Between trying to comfort Drake and then having the doctor give me pills and injections, I was exhausted. I'd done close to nothing, but for my body, it was too much.

"Elijah," the doctor said, nodding to the boy, "is going to be your nurse, in a sense. He will come when you need your medication and he will check on you regularly. Do not worry about getting him sick. His immune system is strong, which is why I chose him to aid me." I slowly nodded once as Elijah changed his position to stand more where I could see him.

He was a good looking young man; rich, brown tan, dark green eyes and pitch black hair. His build was strong, toned and tall. He was wearing a pair of dark green trousers and a white shirt, nice compliments and yet beautiful contrasts to his skin. He bowed his head to me in respect, the shine of earrings dangling from his ears from behind the thick locks of his hair. I forced as much of a smile as I could, but it must've been pitiful, for his eyes wavered in pity and he looked away.

"I'll be back in a week to check on your condition. Elijah will keep me informed of your progress. Hopefully this will pass in the next month or so. Fevers have long life spans for our day and age, but I do believe you will be fine." I nodded once again, weak with exhaustion and worry.

What if the doctor was wrong? What if I didn't get better. Would I simply have to leave this world and leave Drake and Adam behind? Would the Gods truly be so selfish to claim me for their own? I sighed softly as the doctor packed up and left the room, Cassidy trailing behind after leaving a gentle kiss on my forehead. Elijah wiped my forehead and face with the cool rag, giving me another drink of water before bowing his head when I dismissed him. He turned on his heel, walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

I wasn't sure what was worse; being surrounded with people who were concerned about my health or being alone to my ill thoughts. No doubt part of my bitter mood was due to the fever, but I, truly, feared that this wasn't going to go away. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to have to say goodbye to Drake. I couldn't. I cared about him too much and I knew that it was going to kill him if I… If I didn't make it. I had to.

But, I knew, that this fever was a deadly thing. It had claimed the lives of Adam's mother, brother and first, ever, lover. It had claimed the lives of hundreds of young children and elderly folk over the years of Adam's reign, with the occasional young to middle-aged adult. Despite all of the technological and medical advances Egypt had made in the past centuries, this fever was one that no one had the cure for. Some were lucky, others simply were not.

I closed my eyes, feeling my tears stinging from behind my eyelids before they spilled down my cheeks and into my hair. My heart was beating hard, weak with exhaustion of trying to keep my body functioning when this damned fever was working twice as fast with little effort to shut me down. My hands clenched into fists, the blankets balled up in my palms.

I hated this. I hated that I'd let myself get sick like this. Drake needed me to be strong and healthy. So did Adam. They needed me to be my old self again, and I'd let the walls of my health down long enough to catch this fever. I choked on a soft sob which led into a fit of coughing. My chest hurt and my throat burned from coughing, tears of pain leaking into those that were of frustration and sadness.

There was a knock at the door and I turned my head to see it swing open slightly, Drake poking his head inside. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, as it always did. But then it froze with worry. He shouldn't have come back because I was sick. He was just going to catch my condition himself and, if he were to become fatally ill, it would be my fault. And if I survived and not Drake, Adam would never forgive me…

"Tommy," Drake whispered softly, shutting the door and rushing to my side. He slipped up onto the bed, taking one of my hands in his as he reached forward, cupping my cheek in his hand, his thumb massaging the skin tenderly. I leaned my head into his touch, nuzzling it as much as I could before I looked up at him.

"You shouldn't be here," I whispered, my voice hoarse from coughing earlier. He shook his head, tears springing up into his eyes. I whimpered quietly, squeezing his hand lightly with mine. But it was all the force I could muster.

"Don't say that… I need to be here with you," he mumbled, his voice quivering with sobs as he ran his fingers through my hair softly. My eyes slid shut and I inhaled deeply, wishing I could fully enjoy the sensation of his presence so close to me. "I can't lose you, Tommy. I just can't…"

"Drake, baby…" I whispered, forcing my eyes open as Drake bent down, pressing his forehead against mine. He whimpered quietly, leaning forward and pecking my cheek with his lips. "Baby, please… You… You can't get sick. Adam needs you..more than I do.." I said, swallowing the pained lump in my throat and the urge to cough again. I felt hot and itchy, but I knew that Drake wasn't going to be the one to let me kick off the blankets.

"Tommy, _I_ need _you_ … You're my best friend and I _love you_ …" He whimpered, squeezing my hand, his fingers laced tightly between mine. I inhaled as deeply as I could through my nose, being sure not to breathe on him. "I'm not going to stand by and watch you wither away when I know I can be here for you. I don't care that Adam says I shouldn't.." My eyes opened again and I stared him dead in the eye.

"Adam said you couldn't see me?" I questioned, and Drake nodded once. "He's right. Listen to him, Drake." I told him, and Drake looked like he wanted to hit me.

"Adam isn't my master. I've told you this. I'm his husband. Just because we're married doesn't mean he can give me orders anymore," Drake hissed softly, his forehead still flushed up against mine.

"Drake…" I began, "…when did Adam _ever_ give you a direct order that wasn't in reference to the imminent safety of your life?" I asked him, referring to the time when Brad had been hurting him and he hadn't said anything. Drake sighed softly, whimpering again as the tears began to roll down his face onto mine.

"I know, I know.. And he didn't.. really order me not to see you. He _requested_ it, but it's the same thing. He can't keep me from seeing you. He just can't. It's not fair of him to ask that of me, no matter how much he wants to keep me safe." Drake said sternly, and I shook my head.

"Baby, I can't afford getting you sick. If you fall ill, Adam will never forgive me. I'll never forgive myself, either." I told him, weakly reaching up to cup his cheek in my hand. "Please, Drake. I'm _begging_ you. Don't come to see me often." I told him, though it was breaking my heart. I wanted Drake to be with me, but I didn't want his life to be in danger, either.

Drake just shook his head, whining softly as he cried, "Don't, Tommy. You're not going to win. Argue and beg and demand me all you want, but it's not going to work." He said, his voice powerful and final. He was right, though. I could fight him about this all I wanted, but it wasn't going to change him mind in the slightest. He was stubborn like that.

Just one of the many things I loved about him.


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter Sixteen: Sing Out Loud, Color Outside the Lines and Cause a Scene  
Adam's POV**

Tommy was diagnosed with a fever almost a week ago. Drake was an emotion wreck and he insisted on seeing Tommy every day. He hadn't show any signs of contracting the fever, but I was terrified regardless. It only took one transfer of the germ to infect Drake and spread through his body like it had done to Tommy.

Today was not a day I was particularly looking forward to. I hadn't slept well since we found out Tommy was sick on top of being worried about both Tommy and Drake. "Baby?" I whispered, walking over to Drake. He was sitting in front of the vanity, fixing his hair up into his lopsided ponytail.

Drake was dressed in tight golden shorts that barely passed over his ass. His shirt also didn't cover anything. It had no straps and it only went to his upper stomach. His tattoos stood out beautifully and he wore a shear shirt over the outfit. It was mostly see through and he left it undone in the front. If today wasn't so serious, I probably would have bent him over and fucked his brains out through his fucking shorts, but I knew I couldn't.

"Yeah?" Drake asked, opening both of his eyes once his liner and dusty golden shadow had been properly applied. He set the brush he had been using for his face make-up down and carefully drew the Eye of Horus design around his left eye.

"You ready to go?" I asked, walking over to him. I knew Drake wanted to go back to Tommy and be with him. I couldn't blame him. Today was the day that all of the criminals who had been caught in the middle of a crime would be brought before me. I would judge them and make my ruling for them. This usually happened once a month and, as the Pharaoh, it was my responsibility to do it. As my one and only spouse, Drake was also responsible for being there with me.

"Yes…" Drake said, after he swept a gentle touch of blush across his slightly tanned cheeks and a hint of gloss over his plump (but not nearly as plump as Tommy's) lips. He was just as stunning today as the day we had gotten married, a week and a half ago. I couldn't believe Drake's beauty just came so naturally and I really couldn't believe that he was completely mine. He glanced at me through the mirror and frowned a little. "What? Why are you staring at me?" he asked, standing from the vanity after pulling golden sandals onto his feet.

"Because you never fail to steal my breath away, baby," I whispered, kissing his glossed lips gently. He moaned, kissing me back before I pulled away and walked to the other side of the chamber. Drake wore one necklace, a few bracelets and one ring; his wedding ring. He looked modest, for the husband of a Pharaoh, but he outshined anyone who stood by him. "There's just one more accessory you need before we can go," I told him, walking over to my wardrobe.

I pulled a box from inside and rushed back over to Drake. I was merely dressed in formal attire with shades of make-up accenting my face similarly, but not nearly as gorgeously as Drake's. I held the box out to him and opened it. Inside was a newly made crown, simple in design and delicate looking, just like Drake. "For my bride," I told him. Even under the make-up, I could see Drake's cheeks flaming.

"Adam… You didn't need to…" I shushed him and took the crown from the box, placing it perfectly centered onto his head.

"Every royal family member needs a sign of their royalty," I told him. He wasn't used to being "royal". That much I knew was true. When people bowed to him, he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do. He wasn't used to all of the respect he was suddenly getting.

"Thanks, baby…" he whispered and I smiled, wrapping my arm around his waist. Like a gentleman would, I escorted him through the palace, heading for the throne room. It was located right inside of the main entrance of the palace, where the huge stair case rested. I didn't actually spend much time in the throne room and the idea of having a throne room at all seemed close to pointless, but whatever.

When we entered the room, there was a line of about twelve convicts, all in shackles. They were all on their knees, their heads bowed. The rest of the room's occupants knelt down at our arrival, bowing their heads respectfully until Drake and I took our seats on my throne. Drake was, more or less, on top of my lap, but that didn't really bother me much at all. In fact, in made me want to march him right back down to the bedroom. The way he was dressed and the smell of vanilla was making my sense go haywire. Why did he have to be so damned beautiful all the time? Especially when he was completely bare…

"Let's get on with this," I sighed to the nearest guard. One by one, dirty prisoners were brought before me. Many of them had been caught stealing precious artifacts to sell on the black market and, in doing so, had injured or killed someone in the process. They were all, in my opinion, lowly people who gave the rest of Egypt a bad name. In their defense, it didn't help that I was in a completely horrible mood today, with the exception of how delicious Drake looked.

One by one, I sent them all straight to the dungeons. Their crimes were severe and I was in a terrible mood. My judging of them didn't take long. As my husband and my equal, Drake had every right to step in or criticize my judgment, but he never did. He probably saw each of these men the same way I did.

Each person brought before me took at least twenty minutes to deal with. I had to hear his side of the story as well as the charges and evidence against him. It was basically a normal trial, simply without the jury and when the last boy was brought before us, I was so relieved. I was close to just sending him off to the dungeon and be done with this.

However, when I saw his face, I noticed that he was much younger than the others. He was no more than a few years older than Drake and he was almost as beautiful, almost. His hair was black but had lightened to a slate gray color from the sun's saturation. He was much more tan than Drake but paler than I was and his height was something in between Drake's and mine. His eyes were a startling bright jade color and he was just as skinny and Drake was.

"What are the charges against this boy?" I asked the guard who had been repeating all of the facts to Drake and I. He glanced at the papers he was holding.

"His name is Hiei and he has been charged with stealing," he said. I sighed deeply. Another one? Honestly? "It was reported that he stole several pieces of plump fruit and some tools from a vender in the market and shoved through the crowd to get away. Several citizens were injured minimally."

I didn't really process much of what the man had just said. Most of the criminals brought before me were stealing priceless artifacts and seriously injuring the people who got in their way. This boy's crimes were not so horrible, but he was still one of them. My decision took only a moment. "Send him to the dungeons with the rest of them," I said, shooing them away with a simply wave of the hand. The guards moved to gather up the convicts, but they froze when Drake actually made himself known for the first time today.

"Adam, I don't think that's fair," he said, standing up from my lap.

I frowned at him, sitting up a little straighter in my throne. "Drake…" I began but he shook his head at me, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Adam, his crimes are minimal compared to the rest of the group. He's nothing more than a child," Drake said, sounding a lot older than he really was. The boy huffed, seeming to not take lightly to being called a child. "All he did was steal some food. He was probably hungry. Enough of Egypt knows how that feels and he doesn't deserve jail time for trying to survive."

"Drake, he's a thief, just like the rest of them," I argued. That seemed to upset Drake a little.

"Adam, he stole food. I've even been desperate enough to do that. Are you going to throw me in jail to?" he asked, his lips in a tight frown. "He doesn't deserve prison. Let him work in the palace as a servant or something. He can raise money to pay for the things he had damaged and we can get some extra help around here." Drake's eyes wandered back over to the boy- Hiei- for a moment before looking back at me. "Do you really want to be held responsible for what happens to that boy if we lock him up like a villain? You know what the other prisoners will do to a boy as pretty as him…"

I sighed deeply, rubbing my temples with my index fingers. Of course Drake had a point about Hiei being in danger if he was put in prison. He would probably be raped multiple times or, possibly, gang raped. I looked over at the boy, imagining a split lip, bruises, cuts and semen mixed with blood running down his thighs. My stomach knotted up and I felt like I might be sick for a minute.

"You're right…" I agreed and Drake smiled slightly, triumph radiating off of his face. I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking over to the boy. One guard held him tightly by the arm. To my amazement, Hiei didn't look terrified like the rest of the captured prisoners. He was calm and his eyes kept darting over to Drake. "I am willing to offer you a deal, boy. Instead of shipping you straight into the dungeons with the rest of these men, I will allow you to work in my palace as a servant boy. You will earn money to pay for what you have stolen and what you have damaged and you will be given all the food you could eat as well as a place to sleep." Hiei eyed Drake again before looking back up at me with those beautiful jeweled eyes of his. "You should thank my husband for standing up for you. This is a good deal. I wouldn't refuse it," I told him.

Hiei looked at Drake again before he nodded. "I won't refuse it, My Pharaoh," he whispered. His voice was deeper than Drake but still fairly soft. Up close I could see the wear and tear this boy had been through. Scraps and small scars littered his arms and legs. There was even a healed slice on the side of his neck, like he was on the wrong end of someone's knife. "Thank you," he added but he never truly looked at me.

I nodded at the guard who held him. "Unlock him and then take the rest of the prisoners to their cells," I told him. The guard took a key from his belt and made quick work of unlocking Hiei's shackles. The chains had done a pretty decent amount of damage to his wrists and I felt a little guilty. Drake was right… This wasn't a hardcore criminal, he was just a wandering boy who needed to keep himself alive, it seemed.

"You should to thank my husband for his kindness. If he had not been here today, and he certainly did not want to be, you would be leaving with the rest of those men and life in the dungeons for someone as attractive as you is certainly not an enjoyable one," I told him.

For the first time since he was brought before me, I saw his cool and collected demeanor break for a moment. Fear shot through the boy's emerald eyes and he bowed his head respectfully to me, his hair failing into his face. I wondered, for a moment, if this boy had been sexually abused beforehand. Like Drake… I also wondered if that was Drake's true motivation for speaking up for the boy. Perhaps Drake couldn't watch another boy suffer the way he did three years ago…

"Go thank him and then we will show you to your living quarters," I told him. Hiei kept his head bowed as he crossed to Drake. They talked for a few moments and Cassidy came up beside me, watching the two beautiful boys as if they were lions performing a dance.

"Surely now that you are married, you aren't looking for another pleasure servant?" Cassidy teased. I snickered a little, looking over at him.

"No, not for me anyway. I don't need anymore because Drake is a God," I said, still smirking like a mother fucker. Cassidy glanced at me, raising a brow.

"Drake is many people for you, I take it?" he asked, laughing. I blushed faintly, looking away from my adviser. "And what do you mean 'not for me anyway'?" he asked, frowning. I smirked again, although my cheeks were still a little too hot to be normal.

"All I mean is that you could use him for such, if you desired. I don't need a pleasure servant. Drake's a kinky bitch when it comes to bedding with me," I told him. It was Cassidy's turn to blush but he didn't look away from me.

"So I've heard," he commented, snickering. "And he's got you so whipped too. He might as well be running the country. You should probably get 'Drake's bitch' tattooed somewhere just so the few who don't know can figure it out." I blushed wildly, looking across the room at Drake and Hiei. Drake was probably the most beautiful boy I'd ever met and Cassidy was completely and totally right. I was so whipped it wasn't even funny. I truly was Drake's bitch, he just didn't completely know it yet.

"Maybe you can join us some night and figure out just how kinky he is," I smirked. He flushed again and his eyes fell on the boys as well. In the outfit Drake was wearing, it was hard not to imagine doing wonderfully naughty things to him, but his clothing was only accenting his natural beauty. He could have been wearing a brown paper sack and he'd still look just as beautiful. Hiei was almost as brilliant as Drake, but not quite. With a little bit of TLC he very well could be.

What had I gotten myself into by letting this boy stay? He was going to cause all sorts of problems…


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter Seventeen: Holding Hands, You Promised Me**

 **Drake's POV**

I watched the boy, Hiei, follow Cassidy down through the palace corridors to where he would be staying, no doubt being informed of his duties and mealtimes from the adviser. I sighed softly, hearing Adam stepping up beside me, his arms snaking around my waist as he pressed a kiss to the side of my neck. My eyes slipped shut and I smiled, moaning quietly, as he kissed me again.

"Do you have any idea how badly I want you right now?" He whispered into my neck, breathing hot and slightly heavy into my skin. I moaned again, tilting my head back, exposing a stretch of neck just begging to be marked for him. Adam nipped a spot just along the underside of my jaw and I chuckled quietly.

"You _always_ want me, Adam," I told him, turning my head to catch his lips in a gentle kiss. To be honest, though, I wanted him, too. Tending to Tommy left me exhausted and unmotivated for intimacy, and not sharing that intimacy for long periods of time was rather difficult.

"True, but especially today. Do you have any idea just how mouthwateringly delicious you look?" Adam whispered, nipping my earlobe, "I had to remember my authority as Pharaoh to keep myself from bending you over the arm of my throne and having my dirty way with you," he hissed, and I smirked, moaning quietly as his hands wandered down my sides. Part of me was incredibly happy that we were the only ones in the massive throne room.

"Kinky, love… We might have to try that, sometime," I told him, turning in his arms to stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. Adam moaned softly, reaching up to palm my face in his hands as we kissed, our mouths sweeping together in rhythmic, intimate patterns. Tongues teasing and moans dripping from our lips; air was second to this.

I wanted to keep kissing Adam. I wanted to push him up into his throne and fuck myself on him. Well, I wanted to fuck _him_ on his throne, but that was an entirely different want within me that, I doubted, I would ever voice to him. There were things I wanted to try, and I knew Adam, probably, wouldn't deny me of any of it, but there was a lingering sensation of… embarrassment, I guess, in asking.

Adam stepped back, pulling me with him up the small flight of stairs towards his throne, sitting down in the massive gold chair and pulling me onto his lap. I straddled his legs, my thighs pressing into the arms of the chair as my hands slid into his hair, pulling his head back as I deepened our kiss. Adam growled at me, his eyes squeezed shut, his hands resting firmly on my hips.

"Pharaoh?" A small, male voice squeaked and Adam groaned, pulling away from my lips, his hands tightening on my hips. I bowed my head, resting it against his shoulder as I sat down on his thighs to be out of his way, turned away from the person who spoke. He stared over my shoulder to the boy.

"Yes?" He hissed, irritated that someone had interrupted us. I could almost feel the boy's fear in the air, but I didn't look over at him. I had no interest to, and, I knew, that adding a second pair of eyes on that boy would only make him even more nervous. I'd been there before.

"T-the architect needs you to look over s-some blueprints.. F-for the pyramids, My Pharaoh." The boy mumbled, and Adam sighed heavily. I slid off of him, standing to the side as he stood from his throne. He turned towards me, tucking a finger under my chin before bending down and pressing a kiss to my lips. I moaned softly, feeling him pull away too quickly before trotting down the stairs to join with the boy. I watched them walk out of the throne room, and I sighed heavily.

I shook my head, feeling the weight of the crown on my head as I walked down the stairs, following the same path that Hiei and Cassidy had taken. Though, I had a different place in mind to go to. My original intention for today before Adam had informed me that we had other matters to take care of. Sure, I was his husband and his equal in power, but I did not find joy or comfort in watching my husband demand that a few men of Egypt be sent off to the dungeons to await further punishment or death.

True, though, most of them deserved if for their crimes. But did I, really, have to be a part of that? I doubted it, dearly, but I did not speak against it. It was my right as it was my duty, even if I didn't like it.

I passed a few servants in my trek towards Tommy's room. If they, too, were walking, they bowed their heads in respect until I passed. If they were standing, they would drop to their knees and bow before me. But most were not, and they only nodded. It was still strange to me to be regarded as royalty— as powerful as the Pharaoh of Egypt, himself. If someone had told me, three years ago, that this is where I would be and that Adam would be the man I was married to, I would have laughed in their face. I would have laughed a lot.

I chuckled to myself, feeling the sunlight blazing itself against my back as I walked down the hall, taking a looped left before seeing Tommy's room coming into sight. My heart skipped a small beat in my chest. I wondered if he was doing any better, but part of me wasn't so sure. He'd been diagnosed a week ago and had made no progress in getting better. If anything, he looked like he was getting worse.

But I had to think positive about the whole thing. Thinking negatively was only going to worsen my mood on the entire matter, and I knew that my being upset also upset Adam. I couldn't have that. Egypt still had some work to do in the matters of jobs for those in need. The advancements of the pyramid work had been accomplished, and the labor was less intense. But because of less labor, less men were needed. And Adam could only home so many servants.

I bit down on my bottom lip, stepping up to the frame of Tommy's door. I raised my fist to knock, but I stopped myself. If he was sleeping, I didn't want to disturb him. I inhaled slowly, reaching forward and taking the handle into my grasp, pushing the door open as quietly as I could.

I poked my head inside, seeing Tommy lying on his back, the blankets tucked around his chest, his arms flat at his sides. His eyes were closed and his chest was barely rising and falling with breath. I sighed softly, slipping into his room before closing the door just as quietly as I'd opened it. I shuffled over to his bedside, sitting down carefully so as to not move him.

At first, he looked okay. There were dark circles under his eyes and his normally brilliant blond hair was a little greasy, his natural brown roots growing in. I inhaled slowly, reaching forward to caress his flaming cheek with the back of my hand. My skin felt like ice compared to his and I whimpered quietly, feeling the sting of tears building up in my eyes.

It broke my heart to see Tommy like this. To see him so fragile and weak. His once-glowing skin looked pale and ashy; utterly unhealthy. Like at any moment a breeze would come in and blow him to pieces, taking him on a ride through the sands on a delicate wind. My heart clenched and I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I stared at him.

Barely breathing and looking like death. This was not the Tommy that I'd befriended and loved so dearly. This was not the Tommy that had always been there to help me through my difficult times with Adam and with my changing surroundings. This was not the beautiful man who'd taught me to kiss and trust the Pharaoh of Egypt with my heart, soul and body. This man, lying asleep in this bed, this was not Tommy.

But all the same, it was. It was Tommy because it was his face, his voice, his hair, his eyes and his heart. His soul and personality. Just weaker. Frailer. Ill to the point that if he were to fall anymore his body simply wouldn't be able to take it anymore. My heart thrashed in my chest at the idea of Tommy dying and I forced myself to push the thoughts back as I bent down, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"I love you," I whispered, beginning to cry, "Please, please get better. I can't lose you." I told him, though I doubted he could hear me. One of my tears fell, splashing against his cheek, right below his left eye. It looked like he was crying to, for it rolled, spreading down his skin like a thin river.

I swallowed, closing my eyes before bending down, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. Lips that were once so warm and smooth and now were cold and, slightly, chapped. I choked on a breath, palming Tommy's face as I rested my forehead against his, sobs beginning to wrack my body. I needed to leave, but I didn't want to, all the same. I didn't want to leave him, because every time I did, I feared that when I came back, he'd be gone…

I pushed myself off the bed, careful not to disturb him as I crossed to his door, trying to hold the tears back as I opened the wooden slab. I stopped, glancing up at the mural that I'd painted for him before rushing out of his room, closing the door behind me. I couldn't be there anymore. Seeing him so pale, so weak and lifeless made me ache.

I kept my head bowed so anyone who passed me couldn't see that I was crying. I didn't want anyone to raise questions or ask Adam about it, because I knew I wouldn't have been able to keep the events of my visit a secret. And, while I wanted nothing more than to be honest with Adam about everything, my kissing Tommy was something that I didn't have much of an intention in telling him about.

I inhaled slowly, rushing down a hallway towards the back entrance to the gardens. I needed to get away from the interior of the palace; away from Tommy's room. There were too many memories in that place and to see it so lifeless was killing me. It was tearing my heart apart and scattering it across the desert.

I reached the doors, pushing them open before wiping at my eyes, careful not to ruin my makeup too much. I wanted to look as normal as possible, and, if my makeup was ruined, that wasn't going to be possible. I needed to calm down. I needed to get a grip and understand that Tommy was going to be okay and that he was going to make it. He had to.

"Damnit, Tommy… How could I've let this happen to you?" I mumbled to myself, walking down the wide pathways through the shrubberies and flowers, the sculptures standing tall and proud, the trees rustling with a warm breath of a breeze. If I wasn't so depressed, I would have found inspiration right away. But I couldn't.

I sighed heavily, walking through the gardens towards the center where the large fountain rested, spraying water and creating rainbows in the air. Such a beautiful sight. My heart began to slow and I felt myself grow a little calmer as the time went by, but my worry for Tommy was still strong as ever. He had to be okay. I couldn't lose him like this. I'd always fantasized about growing old and wrinkled with Adam and Tommy, both. Always…

I took a step forward, unaware of my surroundings before someone bumped into me, knocking me down to the ground. I yelped when I bounced, my crown slipping askew, but holding onto the strands of my hair. I winced, pushing myself up into a sitting position, reaching up to fix the crown, "Pardon me," I said rather harshly, looking over at the person who'd bumped into me. I had every intention to call them out for not paying attention, despite the fact that I hadn't either, but when I saw them I froze. My eyes went wide, my throat dry and I forgot to breathe.

The man was slightly tanned, but pale compared to most Egyptians. His body was lithe, toned with well-built muscles, but he wasn't bulging with them. He wore a simple pair of white trousers that stopped and curled around his knees, dark brown sandals strapped to his feet. A dark blue top hung from his shoulders, a white vest over it and unbuttoned, hanging loose. His chocolaty brown hair hung in waves around his face, ending just a little past his shoulders. His bright, ocean blue eyes were staring back at mine in a perfect mirror of shock.

The man was breathing hard, his lips parted slightly before he began to push himself to his feet. He had the intention to flee, that was certain. I gasped, crawling onto my hands and knees before I shot to my feet. He turned, starting to push off the ground to run when I reached out, grabbing his arm, "Wait!" I said, pulling him back.

He tugged at my arm at first, but stopped, clearly aware of my status. He turned, bowing his head, his hair curtaining over his face. I licked at my lips, my heart racing in my chest. This wasn't possible. This couldn't have been possible… He.. he was supposed to be dead, wasn't he? He'd been dead for almost ten years, right?

"Alexander?" I inquired, and he lifted his head to meet my gaze again. I knew my own looks very well, and I used to wonder what I would look like as the years went by. But Alex was, true to the stories Adam and Cassidy had told me, the spitting image of me, but a few years older. His hair was a slight shade darker than mine, his eyes holding more wisdom in them. But, none the less, he looked like me. Or I looked like him. Whichever.

"Drake." He stated in a sort of matter-of-fact tone. Of course he would've known who I was, but the fact that he said my name so easily sent a chill down my spine. This just… This couldn't have been possible in the least. But here he was, slightly bowed before me, staring up into my eyes with matching blue orbs.

"H-how…" I whispered, unable to form a coherent, proper sentence. Alex stood to his full height— level to me— before he reached out, taking my hands in his and holding them tight.

"Drake, promise me," he began, his voice similar to mine, even. Fucking Ra, had the Gods separated us at birth? Were we twins in a past life? "Promise me you won't speak of me to Adam. Never tell him of this moment. Never tell him of me. Do you understand?" Alexander said, his voice quivering yet demanding. My mouth was so dry, I could only nod.

"Thank you, thank you," he whispered, leaning forward to kiss my forehead before he turned, running off into the distance of the gardens, disappearing from my sight.


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter Eighteen: Who Is Innocent? Is it Relevant In the World Today?  
Tommy's POV

Not too many people came to see me since I'd gotten sick. Drake came to see me once a day and Elijah brought me food and medicine three times a day, but other than that, I was alone usually. Cassidy had visited me a couple of times and Adam had come with Drake a few times, but most hours of the day and night, I was alone. Not that I really noticed all that much… I was asleep twenty out of the twenty-four hours that made up one day.

There was a light knock at the door and I hoped it was Drake, as selfish as it was. I wanted him to stay away so he didn't get sick from me, but he was my entire support system. Sometimes I thought he was the person keeping me alive instead of Elijah. "Come in," I called weakly and, to my disappointment, the servant boy who had been tending to me walked in.

Elijah had been, more or less, my nurse for almost two weeks. As promised, he gave me all the medicine I needed. He cleaned me up and he brought me all the nourishment I needed. The doctor who had come to see me the first time, came back a week ago to see me. He told me that, basically, I hadn't gotten any better. That was bittersweet. Maybe I hadn't gotten better, but he didn't say I got any worse. That was a good sign, right? Right…

"Hey Tommy…" Elijah said. I smiled weakly at him, preparing myself for my daily torture. Half of my medicine was administered by a syringe instead of a pill or liquid and it hurt like Hell. So instead of thinking about the needle that would soon be penetrating my arm, I thought of Drake and all the things he told me about over the last couple of weeks. He told me of the criminal he stood up for, told me how beautiful the new boy was and we both made jokes about Adam's pleasure servants followed by Drake promising that if Adam ever had sex with Hiei, he would personally castrate him.

I turned my head to look at the ceiling, trying not to watch Elijah preparing the syringe. I could still see out of the corner of my eye and I watched as he stuck the tip of a shining needle into a glass bottle of clear liquid. "How are you feeling today, Tommy?" he asked quietly, pulling the plunger of the syringe up to pull the medicine into the tube.

"Not much better than yesterday or the day before that, or the day before that…" I whispered, allowing my eyes to slip shut. I didn't want to watch him stick me with the needle.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Honey…" he whispered. Elijah generally talked to me. He liked having conversations with me and I had told him a lot of things I probably shouldn't have. I admitted my love for the Pharaoh's husband to him and I told him about all the times Drake and I spent together. I told him of some of the dreams I'd had about Drake, though I never went into the more… intimate details of them and I explained the story behind Drake's mural.

He seemed really interested in Drake and Adam both. I'd always wondered why he asked so many questions about them but I probably shouldn't have. Honestly, Drake and Adam were the most well known people in modern day Egypt, aside from Brad maybe. After Brad's execution, he had been a hot topic of discussion. I wasn't sure if anyone actually knew what Brad was executed for, at least not fully. We all tried to keep Drake's rapes a secret. Nobody needed to know of the shame Brad forced upon Drake… but most people did know of Anna's murder.

That's besides the point anyway. He asked me about Brad a lot. Sometimes he wanted to know too many details about what Brad had done and I'd let it slip once that Drake had been raped by the man but Elijah promised that he wouldn't tell a soul. I prayed to all of the Gods that was true. If people started giving Drake, and even Adam, a hard time because of what Brad did to Drake, all because I had told someone when I shouldn't have, I would feel even worse than I did right now.

"It isn't your fault, Elijah. You're just trying to help me get better. If anything, I should be apologizing for sucking up all of your time," I told him. He laughed softly and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It's my job, Tommy. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. Honestly, if I wasn't taking care of you, I'd be taking care of someone else who had fallen ill," he said. He placed a cool, wet cloth over my forehead and I almost moaned at the relief it provided for me. I groaned because it was simply too short a relief. It needed to last longer, but my flesh was so hot, the cloth heated up like it was never cold in the first place.

"Well, I thank you for doing it…" I said, smiling softly at him. It was forced, mostly because the only person who ever made me smile was Drake. Being sick was mentally exhausting and almost nothing made me happy. When I actually got Drake to smile instead of cry, I was happy. That's truly when I could smile.

"You are very welcome, Tommy," he said, his fingers running through my hair several times. It felt nice to have someone comfort me with physical touches, but when it wasn't Drake, it wasn't the same. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you, though…"

My eyes snapped open. Elijah wasn't holding the syringe anymore. It was laying on my nightstand, safe and out of the way. "I'm… I'm not getting worse, am I?" I asked, forcing a fearful lump back down my throat. It felt like my lungs were collapsing and my heart was pounding its way into my chest, suffocating me with its bulk. "Please tell me I'm not getting worse…"

He stared down at me, his eyes going hard and serious. "I'm not a doctor. I wouldn't be able to tell you if you were getting worse, so that I can't answer…" he said, his eyes flickering towards the syringe laying on the nightstand for a moment before looking me in the eye again.

"Then…" I started, my eyes darting back and forth between the needle and his eyes. Why was he acting so strange? And why was I suddenly feeling very unsafe in his presence? "Then what is the bad news?" I asked, swallowing another lump of fear, which settled roughly in my stomach. It felt like rotten food attempting to digest.

"You won't be seeing Drake for a while…" he said and I frowned. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Had Drake decided that it really wasn't worth it to see me after all? That would have been the smart thing, but it made my heart feel a little heavier than normal. Or was it something even worse than that? Had Drake started getting fever symptoms as well? Was he beginning to get sick because of me?

"Is he okay?" I whimpered, my eyes wide with fear. Elijah smiled at me and there was something haunting about the grin that stretched across his face. "Elijah, is Drake okay?" I repeated, forcing myself to be as stern as I possibly could with the boy. I didn't want to sound rude or demanding or harsh, but if I had to, I would. Drake was far more important than this kid and he was _not_ going to fuck with me about Drake. That was something I definitely wasn't ready to stand for.

"He's fine, for now," Elijah said, that grin still on his face. There was something about it that terrified me and something else that made me want to punch him in the face just to wipe the grin away. "He probably won't be for very long though…" he added. He reached for the syringe, taking the glass into his hand.

"Is he getting the symptoms I had?" I asked, unconsciously inching away from the boy but his hand lashed out, attaching to my arm in a painful grip. Elijah was strong, much stronger than I ever was when I was at full health. Now that I was weakened with fever, he could have flicked me and it would have felt like a punch. He didn't have any problem holding me down.

"Symptoms you've had? No, nothing like that… but your condition is beginning to eat at him. He's blaming himself for what's happening to you. He's convinced himself it's his fault that you are dying…" he said. I stared hard at him. Drake and I had discussed this again and again and while he might have felt a little guilty for not paying more attention to me, he certainly didn't blame himself completely and he absolutely refused to believe that I was dying. He couldn't bring himself to believe that and neither could I. Besides, how would Elijah even know all of this? He wasn't close to Drake! Drake was far too busy tending to Adam and royal business to be paying any mind to what a servant boy who was here to take care of me did.

"You're lying," I hissed and he frowned fiercely at me.

"Am I?" he asked, pressing the needle into my arm. He didn't even bother using a band to cut off circulation anymore. The permanent hole in my wrists showed him where my vein was located. "Well, once you really are dying, I'm sure he'll feel like that…" he added, pushing the needle into my vein. I tensed, wanting to rip my arm away but knowing that would cause a huge problem for me. Not to mention, I simply wasn't strong enough to pull out of his grip.

"You're saying I'm dying?" I hissed. He merely shook his head, pressing the plunger down to inject the liquid into my bloodstream. At first, I didn't feel anything at all. I never really did, but after a few moments, my vision began to go blurry and my head was swimming. It was almost overpowering.

"No… not yet anyways. But you won't be seeing anyone for a really long time…" he said and he pulled the needle out of my arm. He stood up completely, letting me go. I wanted to get up. I wanted to run to someone who could help me because honestly, Elijah was confusing me and he was scaring the shit out of me. I wanted to find Drake and I wanted to make sure that he was alright…

But I couldn't get up. I didn't have the energy. I felt even weaker now than I did before Elijah came in and I was beginning to slip. I could feel darkness creeping up into me to claim me into the world of the unconscious. This wasn't anything like sleep though… Sleep was peaceful and generally welcomed by its host. This was forced and this was not at all what I wanted to be happening.

"I'll make sure someone finds you in an hour or so," Elijah said and he began packing up his little bag. "With any luck, it will be the Pharaoh's husband," he added as he turned towards the door. I watched him walk out, wanting nothing more than to jump from the bed and rush after him. I couldn't move though. I could barely even fucking see! Before I even knew what was happening to me, I was seeing nothing and I was slipping into the world of blackness that so many people compared to being dead while still physically alive.


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter Nineteen: 'Cause The Hardest Part Of This Is Leaving You…**

 **Adam's POV**

It took me about a half an hour, or close to an hour, to finish my business with the architect before being able to return back to the palace and spend some quality time with Drake. Honestly, though, if the matters hadn't been as important as they were, I would have left almost immediately to return to the intimacy that I was sharing with my husband. But there had been a bit of a setback in one of the pyramid progresses that the man needed me to look over before being able to continue.

I sighed tiredly, trudging back through the throne room and down the hall towards my chambers. I wasn't sure where Drake was going to be but, I figured, our room would be a good place to start. If he wasn't in our room, I would check his studio, the gardens, Tommy's room, the library, wherever I had to to find him.

Though, part of me did hope that I wasn't going to have to search for long. As it was, this day had been dragging on long enough; what with the judging this morning of all the criminals to then overseeing some construction issues and Tommy being sick. I had no motivation to do much else than to spend some nice, quiet alone time with Drake. Kissing, cuddling, _maybe_ (okay, most definitely) some love making, and then dinner and bed.

My arms swung at my sides as my servants scurried back and forth, finishing their duties for the night before dinner. The sun was well on its way to the western horizon, but there was still enough light to consider it day and not, even, twilight. A warm breeze blew through the open windows, racing down the halls and caressing the skin that was exposed on my arms and legs, tickling the back of my neck and tossing my hair gently around my face.

I smiled softly, enjoying the peace of my home as I quickened my pace a little, nearing my chambers. I reached forward, taking the handle into my grasp before pulling the massive door open, slipping inside, leaving it ajar enough in case I needed to leave again.

Upon first glance, I knew Drake wasn't here, which narrowed my places to search, and fortunately most of the remaining places were nearby. The furthest, I believe, was the library or his studio, I couldn't remember which. Both were about the same distance from my chamber, but in opposite directions from one another (rather unfortunate for my case if I happened to look in one and he was in the other). I sighed softly, peeling off most of my jewelry, carrying them to my vanity to set them down. I no longer had any use for them for this evening, and they were more of a nuisance than anything else.

I tugged off my vest and my shirt, letting them drape on the chair that was sitting close to my vanity, stretching my arms above my head as a breeze swept through my chamber, cooling my sweat-slicked skin. I sighed softly, running fingers through my hair. It'd grown some, and I was in need of a cut, but it wasn't necessary for the time being. I figured I'd get it done after I knew Tommy was okay…

Ra… How could he've gotten so sick, and right under our noses? He'd seemed so fine, so healthy and happy for us, and then suddenly he just dropped. I bit down on my bottom lip, rubbing the back of my neck gently as I walked towards my balcony, my sandals scuffing the stone lightly as the setting sunlight washed over my dark skin, setting the sweat ablaze.

It had never been my intention to let Tommy fall ill. I'd always been so paranoid about his and Drake's health since I'd already watched so many close loved ones slip into the Afterlife because of fever. I didn't want to watch it happen again, but Tommy was slipping through our fingertips like sand… He was running out of time and that scared me. But, I knew, that as long as we were able to keep him well medicated, rested and fed with the proper nourishments, he'd be okay…

Unfortunately, the very cure hadn't saved Alexander…

My heart seized, jolting up into my throat and making it clench. I had to fight to breathe as I stood by the balcony's railing, leaning against it as I put my head into my hands. On top of trying to keep Egypt functioning and happy for my people, I had to deal with one of my best friends and lovers, potentially, balancing on the edge of life and death.

It just wasn't fair. I'd already lost my whole family and the first love of my life to this. I couldn't stand to watch it take away Tommy, too. I couldn't watch his death ruin Drake, either… I knew how close they were and that, if Tommy were to pass, it would crush Drake. While Drake was my husband and my eternal lover, his love for Tommy was just as strong…

I sighed softly, shaking my head as I glanced out over the gardens behind my chamber. Servants taking light strolls, citizens taking some time to themselves. Yes, the gardens were open to my people as well. I wasn't entirely selfish. While they were not allowed in the palace for obvious reasons, I knew most appreciated the beauty and calm of the gardens, and, early in my reign, I'd made it available to all.

I glanced over towards the western half, staring passed the fountain that Drake and I had gotten married at. I smiled softly to myself, the memory flashing back in my mind, the heat and passion Drake and I had shared on that night when we were married. I shook my head, closing my eyes for a moment before opening them again, looking further beyond and seeing who I assumed to be Drake in the distance. I could see his golden attire and the tattoos on his arms. So, the gardens after all, eh? I chuckled, pushing off from the railing when something caught my eye.

Who was Drake talking to? A servant? From this distance, it was hard to tell, but I could see that they were about the same height, same hair color, but I couldn't differ much else between them. I frowned, stepping back into my chamber before walking across the massive room towards the doors, slipping out and shutting them before making my way down the hall towards one of many doors that led to the gardens.

My sandals slapped the ground, the sound of my pant legs rubbing together as I walked were the only sounds that filled my ears as I turned a corner, stepping up to two massive doors, pushing the right one open. Soft light blinded my eyes and a gentle gust of air caressed my skin as I scampered down the stone steps into the gardens, turning westward in the direction that I'd seen Drake.

No matter the time of day or my mood, much like the library, the gardens always brought a sense of peace to me. The elegant arrangement of the flowers, trees, shrubberies, statues and all around beauty was just so… Inspiring and calm. I inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of fresh new life as I made my way across, taking pleasure in the briskness of the afternoon.

Up ahead, I saw Drake sitting on a stone bench, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands clasped together, back hunched slightly. He was staring hard at the ground, his face pale and perturbed. He looked like he'd seen a ghost and was trying to analyze how such a thing was possible. I frowned, slowly my pace as I neared him, quiet in my walk. He didn't seem to notice me until I cleared my throat.

"Drake?" I said to him, taking another step closer as he lifted his head, his perplexed eyes shifting back and forth between mine, "Are you alright, love?" I asked, shifting on my feet to sit beside him, taking his hands in mine. I noticed, upon grasping them, that he was shaking ever so gently.

Drake didn't say a word. He looked so confused and disturbed. Had he really seen a ghost? If so, then who? I couldn't imagine anyone coming to haunt him, especially in broad daylight, but what did I know? Drake turned his head, looking up into my eyes. His normal bright and pleasant blue ones were dark, haunted. His lower lip was quivering. I frowned, reaching up to cup his cheek in my palm.

"Baby?" I whispered, concern and worry flooding through my being. I wanted to ask more questions. I wanted to know what had bothered him so much. Was it Tommy? Had someone said something about his condition? Was there something amiss with his family? But that couldn't have been. His brothers had been busy with their school and Amalia and Roza were busy with work of their own; Amalia was a seamstress and Roza was schooling children younger than Hayden…

But I wasn't able to get another word in to him. There was a sound of leather slapping stone and a young man came rushing up to us, out of breath and frantic, the collar of his shirt lined with what appeared to be sweat. We both looked up as he came rushing, and, for a moment, I was sure that I recognized him. Had he not been the boy who'd been tending to Tommy for the past few weeks? What was his name again?

"My Pharaoh?" The boy huffed, his black hair sweaty along the hairline, frizzy and sticking to his head, his jade eyes wide and terrified. My heart clenched in my chest and my throat closed up.

"Yes?" I whispered softly to him, unable to speak any louder. He was breathing hard, clenching his side. He looked as if he'd been running far and long. Oh, Ra…

"M-my Pharaoh, you must come quickly. I-it's Tommy… I.. I can't get him to wake up. Please, my Pharaoh, there's something wrong!" He exclaimed. I felt Drake tense beside me before the brunette shot to his feet to join the boy, myself not far behind either of them.

The servant boy guided us back to Tommy's room, taking the fasted route possible, but it still felt like an eternity. Drake looked like he was on the brink of keeping his composure and absolute terror. I couldn't say that I blamed him in the least; I was feeling the exact same way.

I held tight to Drake's hand as we rounded a corner, rushing down the hall to Tommy's room. It felt like every step forward just stretched the massiveness even longer, making it damned near impossible to reach the door. Drake and I were breathing hard from running and following the boy, but finally we reached the door. Drake's face was pale, his eyes wide as the green-eyed servant pushed Tommy's door open.

Drake rushed forward, pushing the boy aside as he hurried to Tommy… Tommy, who was sprawled on his bed, facing the door. His head was on the edge of his pillow, on the brink of rolling off, his right arm dangling from the mattress. He looked pale and he didn't seem to be breathing as I stepped into the room after Drake. The servant-boy stood outside the door, trying to catch his breath. But he was the last thing on my mind as I neared Tommy.

Drake was sitting on the edge of the bed, Tommy's shoulders clenched in his grasp. He shook Tommy, his mouth moving as he tried to wake the blond up, but I couldn't hear anything other than the sound of my heart thrashing in my ears with fear. Tommy wasn't waking up. Tommy looked… No…

I fell to my knees, taking up Tommy's limp, chilled hand in mine. A whimper fell off my lips as I held it tenderly in my own palm, reaching forward to touch his cheek. He was still hot with a fever… Was he still.. Or… Tears stung my eyes and I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to Tommy's as I began to cry, the sounds of Drake's sobbing filling my ears.

This couldn't have been happening. Tommy couldn't.. He couldn't die. Not like this. He and Drake were supposed to surpass me in their life, for I was older than the both of them. How could the Gods do this to us? To me? I'd already lost so many… What fairness was there in taking more?!

Tommy's forehead was still scalding hot, dry and without signs of breaking. Maybe the fever had taken him the same way it took Alex… Swift and merciless in its heat, however quiet it might've been. My heart clenched and my throat closed up as I choked on a sob, squeezing Tommy's hand in mine. He couldn't be gone…

I turned, seeing the boy still in the doorway, watching us with grieved eyes, " _Get the doctor!_ " I shouted at him, tears streaming down my face as he nodded once, turning and rushing down the hallway. I swallowed the lump in my throat before turning towards Drake.

He was a weeping mess, holding tight to Tommy's other hand in both of his like letting go would cause him to cease to be. I inhaled shakily, trying to stop my tears as I stood, letting go of Tommy's hand. Drake wailed, shaking with sobs and that only made my own tears flow faster as I pulled him into my arms, tearing him away from the seemingly-sleeping blond.

" _No!_ " Drake wailed, trying to fight me. I had to get him away from Tommy. Tommy was still hot, still feverish even if he was, truly, gone— not that I believed it in the least. I couldn't risk Drake getting sick, too. I couldn't lose him..

"Drake, baby, please.." I whispered, fighting the sharp yelp of pain as he clawed at my bare chest, forcing me to let go of him. He launched himself at Tommy's bed, collapsing at the side with his arms thrown over the blond, his face pressed into Tommy's blanketed chest. I shook with a sob at the sight of them both. Tommy… Drake..

" _No!_ " He screamed again when I tried to pull him away. I heard the sound of footsteps and I turned, seeing the doctor rushing in, gently easing me aside. I whimpered quietly, fighting with Drake to peel him away from Tommy as the doctor opened his bag to pull out medicines and the like. I held Drake tightly by the wrist, looping my arm around his waist as I pulled him out of the room. He was screaming and crying for the first ten or twenty yards on our walk back to my room, but eventually he stopped. He held onto me, weeping quietly as I half-carried him down the hall.

We didn't say a word as I pulled one of the doors to our room open, slipping inside with Drake, practically, glued to my hip. I tugged the door shut, wrapping my arms around him and holding him to my chest as he cried.


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter Twenty: And Dozens More By Association  
Hiei's POV**

The Pharaoh's palace.

I couldn't believe I was actually living here. Sure, my room was a little smaller than most and I didn't get three course meals, but I'd, honestly, never lived so well in my entire life. Even when I lived at home, with my father, I didn't get much. We weren't exactly poor but we never had extra money either. We had little meat and a very small house. It was better than what most of our neighbors.

When I was pulled into the palace with the rest of those prisoners, I feared the worst. I thought that, at the very least, I would be put in a terrible prison, where I was probably be molested or raped… I didn't put it past the Pharaoh to simply ship me off to the chair, but then his husband stood up for me. He had been completely silent throughout the entire judging and I didn't expect a change for me. I was truly amazed when it did. Drake had been nothing but kind to me, which was more than I could say for the rest of the people who lived and worked here.

Pharaoh and his adviser, Cassidy, were the only two people besides Drake who had even said anything to me. I don't think many people fancied having a "criminal" in the palace. Really, I wasn't a danger to anyone. Sure, I stole food and I'd fight for my own protection, but I wasn't a thug. I wouldn't just beat the shit out of someone for no reason. Whenever I walked down the hall, most people looked down at me, as if I was something to be disgusted with. I didn't understand it. Were they not servants just like me?

The sudden upgrade in living styles was nice but the work they had me doing was completely awful. I was doing other people's laundry! And I was cleaning washrooms and scrubbing floors. The work left me feeling in desperate need to wash myself. What was even worse, than what I actually had to do, was the fact that I wasn't even trusted to do it alone. Someone was always watching over me as I worked. Most of the time, it was the Pharaoh's adviser. He was always kind to me, but he wasn't exactly… the social type.

When Cassidy was with me, he was usually scrawling notes across a portfolio that seemed to be glued to his hands. I never saw him without that damned thing. We never had conversations other than "good morning" and "this is what you need to get accomplished today". I understand that he's an important guy and he has his own work to do on top of watching over my work, but he could at least have a small conversation with me! Yes, I've broken the law but that didn't make me any less human! I liked socializing as much as the next person!

I knew the things I had done were against the law, but I wasn't sorry for what I had done. I was simply staying alive. I was twenty-four, a few years older than the Pharaoh's husband from what I had heard, but I was still young. Basically I was only doing what I needed to do to survive. I didn't have a job, it was almost impossible to get a job now-a-days. Well, things were getting better, I had to admit, but not good enough for me. When I was seventeen, I ran away from my father and I lost any form of money after that.

Call me what you will, whether it be idiotic or brainless, I don't care. I couldn't stay at home anymore. My father was a lonely old man who was barely surviving. I was his first and only child. My mother died in childbirth, so, needless to say, my father never really liked me much. He hated me and the day I decided to leave was the breaking point for me.

 _I'd just woken up to the sun peaking through the small window in my tiny room. My back ached from the work from the day before and my arms burned and itched from too much sun._

 _"Hiei! Get your ass out of bed, now!" my father screamed from the other side of the door. I simply sighed, rolling out of bed. My hair was sticking up on end but I simply didn't care. Who did I have to impress? I was too busy working and trying to survive the constant strain on my body to have an actual relationship. "Hiei!"_

 _"I'm coming!" I called, my arms stretching above my head. Sickening cracks came from my spine and I cringed before shoving my bedroom door open. My father instantly grabbed me by the forearm and dragged me out into the tiny space that could be considered a living room. There stood a man, about six foot four, with dark, shagging hair that hid his eyes. "What's going on…?" I asked. My father shoved me forward and the man grabbed me tightly by the wrist._

 _"Well?" my father hissed, staring at the man that was now holding onto me. "Is he good enough for you?"_

 _"He's beautiful…" the man said, reaching up to cup my cheek in his large hand. "Worth every penny." I couldn't even breathe. My father fucking sold me to this man?!_

 _"Dad…" I whispered, turning my head to look at him, but he was too busy counting gold pieces to pay me any mind. "Dad!" I screamed at him. "You can't honestly be selling your only family!" He glanced up at me before completely turning away from me and walking out of the room._

 _The man began to pull me out of the house, muttering something about how good he was going to make me feel and what things he was going to make me wear. Not only had my father sold me to some strange man but he sold me to be this man's bed servant?! I was nothing but a sex toy?!_

 _Somehow, I managed to slip away from the man and I ran off with absolutely nothing. I couldn't risk going home to get anything because I didn't want my father to catch me and call that man. I refused to bed with someone simply because he paid for me. I wasn't a possession, I was a human being!_

I finally snapped back to reality. I was on my knees, scrubbing the floor with a sponge filled with soapy water. Cassidy was sitting on a bench behind me, no doubt scribbling into his fucking notes. I sighed deeply, realizing that I had been scrubbing the same spot for a good ten minutes.

"You do know that there is the rest of the floor that's in need of scrubbing, right?" Cassidy asked. I heard some shuffling behind me before he appeared beside me, looking down at where I was kneeling.

I frowned, keeping my eyes locked on the sponge clenched tightly in my hand. "I know… I'm sorry," I said quietly. There were a billion rude things I would have liked to say to him, but I didn't want to push my luck too far just yet. I was still extremely new and I didn't want to chance getting sent to actual prison. I couldn't handle the abuse I would have taken there with all of those horrid, disgusting men.

Cassidy sighed and, to my complete and utter shock, he knelt down on the floor next to me, as if we were equals. "Are you alright, Hiei?" he asked softly, his hand falling against my shoulder. I blinked, looking over at him. I'd tensed under his touch and I could see the frown that pulled at his lips, but he didn't move away. "Hiei?" he repeated.

"I'm just… not feeling like myself," I guess. I didn't want to just pour out my heart and soul to a guy that I didn't even know. I'd never been close to anyone, especially since my father tried to sell me to some pervert. "I just zoned out. I'll be fine," I added. His eyes were wide, filled with what I could only imagine to be sympathy and concern. I knew he wanted me to be open with him but I would _not_ tell him that my father tried to sell me as a sex slave and that's why I didn't have a home and that's why I stole things like food. I had too much pride to tell anyone that, especially someone as important as Cassidy.

"If you need to take a break, you may," he said. His free hand came up to touch my forehead, first with the pads of his fingers, followed by the back of his hand.

"What are you doing?" I asked, pulling away from him. He frowned further, but he didn't make a move to stop me pulling back.

"We have a bad case of fever beginning to break out again. Someone in the palace has fallen ill and I just wanted to make sure that you were not contracting the same illness," he said, giving me an apologetic look. "I'm just concerned for your health. I don't want more people getting sick."

I'd been living on the streets for almost seven years. I had built up an extremely strong immune system. If I hadn't, disease would have claimed me many moons ago. "I'm not feeling sick or anything, just… out of it, I guess," I muttered and I began scrubbing the sponge across the floor again.

"You're sure you don't want to take a break?" Cassidy asked me.

I shook my head, keeping my eyes locked on the floor as I scrubbed it. "No, I just want to get this done and over with before dinner," I told him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod and stand to return to his place on the bench, no doubt to return to his beloved portfolio. I was truly convinced that he might have an anxiety attack if he didn't have it on him.

I spent several hours on my knees, scrubbing the floors until the entire room was polished and shining almost as brightly as the Pharaoh's husband. I set the sponge back into the bucket of water I had been using and I turned my head to see if Cassidy had noticed I was done. To my complete humiliation, he was staring at my backside, his mouth parted ever so slightly. He looked as if he could be drooling. I felt a light blush rush across my face but my tan was so dark, no one would be able to tell that I was blushing.

"Um…" I started, turning to face him. "You're staring at me…" I told him, putting my hands on my hips. Like Drake, my frame was a little more curvy that most men, much to my displeasure.

Cassidy blinked, his mouth closing instantly and his eyes meeting mine. I could plainly see the blush in his cheeks, but I didn't comment on it. I actually felt like smirking, but I didn't. I kept myself in check, as hard as it was. "I… I apologize," his said, his eyes meeting mine for a moment before he looked away again.

"It's alright," I said, shrugging it off as if it were nothing. "Now that I've finished, may I go bathe for dinner?" I asked. Cassidy nodding and I left the room before he could change his mind. I glanced back at him, finding him watching my ass as I left. I turned my head, smirking lightly to myself. I wasn't conceited in the slightest, but I knew I was a pretty thing to look at. People always stared, but I never gave anyone the time of day.

I might with Cassidy though, I could definitely use his affections to my benefit. Perhaps, if we grew close enough, I could even get out of this disgusting work permanently…


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter Twenty-One: Until You Break, Until You Yield**

 **Drake's POV**

I sat in the silence of the gardens on my knees next to Anna's memorial, tears streaming my face with my hands in my lap. A wind kicked up my hair, tossing it around my face as I stared blankly at the statue of my little sister with the kitten in her hold, smiling just as sweetly as she used to. She would have turned seven this year. She would have been so lovely.

I inhaled shakily, keeping my eyes on her as the tips of my overgrown hair tickled my nose. I made no move to push it out of my face, though. I kept them, folded together neatly, in my lap; the fingers cold from lack of movement. I had been sitting out here for several hours now, unwilling to go anywhere or see anyone. I had been hoping that my little sister would give me comfort, but there was none with the heaviness in my heart.

I could still hear the doctor's words in my ears. I could still remember the tone of Adam's voice when he commanded the servant boy to fetch said doctor. The pain and agony, the need for Tommy to live. The doctor had arrived so quickly and spent almost the entire night giving Tommy medicines, checking his vitals, trying to understand his condition.

The doctor had said that Tommy was still alive. His fever had put him into a sort of comatose state. He would be unresponsive until the fever ran its course and, as long as he was still given medicine on a daily basis as well as food to be force fed, he would be fine. He would live to see the rest of his life. Though, I wasn't sure that I believed it. I could remember Adam telling me that Alex had fallen ill with fever, falling into death so swiftly. Why would the Gods grant Tommy a second chance at life if they were going to put him into a coma, first?

Alex… If he'd been dead for almost ten years, how was it he was able to stand before me? Was he in spirit? Then how did I run into him? How could I have felt the soft, warmth of his skin, feel his hands on my shoulders, his lips on my forehead? Was I crazy? Was it someone else and I had only hallucinated, thinking it was Adam's late lover? No… It had been too real to be illusion.

Never the less, Alex's presence in the back of my mind was just as haunting as Tommy's condition. Between the two, Adam had been questioning me, almost, daily about the stranger that I'd met in the gardens. It killed me inside to refuse him the knowledge that I'd encountered Alexander, but if Adam's first lover was, truly, alive, I couldn't give him away. Alex had asked— no, _begged_ — me not to. I couldn't go against that.

All the same, if Alex's appearance was not an illusion or other worldly, why was he lingering around the palace? Why would he stay if Adam and I had been committed for the past three years and recently married? I didn't want to seem selfish, though I had every right, but Alex, in my mind, didn't really have a place in the palace anymore. He was not Adam's. Adam was not his.

I shivered, sitting back to lean against the palace walls with my knees drawn to my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around them. How was Alex alive, though? Adam had told me, many times— though, I knew it pained him each time— that Alex had died from the same fever that Tommy had contracted in his arms. One cannot fake death, no matter how good of an actor they were. The only means were of herbs or potions, but why would Alex fake death if he loved Adam so fiercely?

I shook my head to myself, resting my forehead on my knees. Things were so strange, so befuddling to me and all I wanted was for it to return to normal. For Tommy to be healthy. To be happy at my side as an eternal friend and Adam as my husband and lover. I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling the sting of tears.

On top of the madness of Tommy's sickness and Alex's random appearance, it seemed that every time I encountered my brother, Eric, things were tense. I knew he did not like the fact that I'd been taken from our home back in the city to be Adam's pleasure slave. But he could not be angry with me— it was not _my_ plan to work for Adam as such a slave. And I knew that Eric was grateful for Adam's hand in his studies.

Even still, things were not as comfortable as they used to be with my brother, not that Jonah, Hayden or Amalia seemed to notice. I knew my mother sensed a disturbance between us, but whenever she questioned it, we commented in saying there was nothing. But, then again, the last time that had happened was almost a week ago. I had seen little of my family since then because of Tommy's illness and my position as the Pharaoh's husband. My duties had increased tenfold because of the change in status.

I lifted my head from my knees, staring with a blurred vision at the statue of my youngest sibling. Anna had been like my daughter more than my little sister; she'd been so young… I knew the sting of hate for Brad would never leave my heart. Even in the lives to come for me, when I'd passed through the After and started anew, I would always feel that hate for taking her away from me…

"Drake?" I jumped out of my skin, momentarily, before turning to my left, looking up to see Adam standing above me. His face looked aged with the stress of the past couple of weeks, but he was still my beautiful Adam. I smiled softly at him as he stepped out from the glass door of my studio to join me beside Anna.

He crouched down before sitting, pulling me into his arms and wrapping them tightly— almost possessively— around my midsection, pressing my back to his chest. He smelled of fresh harvested honey with a sort of underlying tone of old parchment; rich and exotic, and all Adam. I suspected that he'd been in the library recently.. I inhaled deeply, relaxing against him as he pressed a gentle kiss to the side of my head along the hairline above my ear. I smiled slightly, a blushing fanning over my cheeks.

"You scared me," I commented, and Adam laughed quietly, kissing my skin again. I moaned softly, letting my eyes slip shut as he shifted his arm, reaching up to caress my cheek with his fingertips. I opened my eyes, turning my head to face him as he smiled.

"That was not my intention," he said, ghosting a kiss against my lips, "I only wished to get your attention." Adam explained, kissing me sweetly. I moaned, bringing my hand up to palm his cheek tenderly, pressing myself closer to him as he slid his tongue between the seam of my lips, tasting mine against my cheek.

We kissed passionately for several moments, the only sounds emitting themselves in the air were that of the wind passing through the trees and the soft pops and clicks of our mouths and tongues slipping and sliding back and forth. I moaned again, followed by a whine as Adam pulled away from our kiss, smirking delicately as I blushed, burying my face into his neck. He chuckled, running his fingers through my hair, holding me close to him.

My breathing calmed and slowed, my chest rising and falling deeply as I curled up in Adam's arms. I believe this had been the first time in a long time that I was, truly, at peace. The worry for Tommy and the confusion about Alex had been pushed to the back of my mind and all I cared about was being in Adam's embrace, feeling his fingers dragging through my hair as he left butterfly kisses against my scalp.

But such peace could not last for long, of course. The Gods must've found favor in ruining my good days, "Baby," Adam began, leaving another kiss into my hair. I hummed in response, my eyes closed, my body slack in his hold, "please, just tell me who you were talking to the other day, here in the gardens."

My eyes opened, not that Adam could see, and I stared hard at Anna's statue. I didn't know why it was such a big deal for him to know who I was talking to. I'd told him that it had been no one— just a servant who'd lost his way. But, I knew, that Adam didn't believe me. He had this uncanny ability to know when I was lying or keeping something from him. And no matter how hard I tried to make it seem convincing, he wouldn't buy it for a moment.

"It was no one, Adam, I've told you this," I said, hoping that the fact he couldn't directly see my face, or my eyes, would give me some sort of advantage in this argument. But I knew it was in vain.

"Drake, we've talked about this… You promised me, ever since the situation with Brad, that you would _talk_ to me. I just want to make sure you're staying safe. Ever since Tommy got sick, I—" he began, but I cut him off.

"Adam, please. Brad had threatened my life and my family. I'm sure that, if I'd let it go on long enough, he would've threatened you or Tommy, as well. Back then, people were in danger. Now, there is nothing. It was just a servant." I seethed as gently as I could, feeling the stress of recent events beginning to pile themselves up on my subconscious and I sighed heavily, the beginnings of a headache trying to eat their way into my skull.

"Why are you being so difficult? A name, baby, please." I sighed again, rolling my eyes.

"Why is this so important to you, Adam? It was _no one_." I argued.

"If it was no one, why won't you give me a name?" Adam questioned. I bit down on my lip for a brief moment before being unable to keep the words back.

"Because he told me not to tell you—" I snapped my mouth shut, clenching my jaw and staring hard as the statue of my little sister with the kitten. How I wished I could've snapped my fingers and made that statue come to life. I'd even paint her just as beautifully as she looked before…

"Who, Drake? What servant doesn't want me to know their name?" Adam asked carefully, choosing his words like he was choosing his strategy for war. I knew I'd said too much already, and with this new evidence, Adam wasn't going to let this conversation end until he won. Oh, Adam, you can win a battle but you can't always win the war… But something told me this was a war that was slipping through my fingertips.

"It was no one, Adam. Please, just leave it be," I said in a huff, pulling myself from his arms to stand to my feet. Alex had told me not to say anything on his behalf, and I was determined to keep it that way. But keeping something like this from Adam wasn't exactly easy. While the idea of Alex being alive and, potentially, coming to the palace frightened me, even only a little, I could not deny Adam the choice of having him back to stay. I could not deny him, at least, the pleasure of having the friend if not the lover…

"Drake…" Adam whispered, standing up. His hand reached out to take a gentle hold of my chin and he raised my eyes to meet his. Deep blue oceans swirling with concern and the need to know… I sighed softly, looking away from him.

"I can't…" I told him, feeling my heart clench in my chest. Adam's grip on my chin tightened, and I could feel him shaking a little.

"Don't say that, Drake… Don't say those words…" Under any other circumstance, I would have wondered why. But the last time he tried to pry something important from me and I'd said I couldn't say, we both ended up hurt in all the worst ways. Was it really so wrong for him to know about Alex? True, Alex's request to be unknown to Adam puzzled me, but I had no time to question it.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, pulling myself from his hold, beginning to turn away.

"Damnit, Drake!" Adam hissed, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me back to him. His eyes were narrowed and dangerous, but they were not cruel. "Why can't you tell me!" I stared hard at him, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Why is this so important to you?" Adam sighed heavily, but his grip on me did not relax any.

"I value the honesty between us. It's something most couples these days don't have much of. I just want your honesty, trust and love, Drake. That's all. And you keeping this from me is threatening that trust…" He told me, his words firing through my heart like hot blades. A gasp sucked itself between my lips and I trembled. I never wanted to compromise anything, but… Alex begged…

"You wouldn't understand…" I shook my head, "I doubt you would believe me if I told you, anyway…" I whispered under my breath, looking away from Adam again. His hands loosened, sliding up to cup my face tenderly, bringing my gaze back up to meet his again.

"Baby, please…" He pleaded. I could feel my heart cracking in my chest, and I wasn't sure if it was because I had forced Adam to reduce to begging for this knowledge or for the fact that I was betraying the word of a man I'd only known, face to face, for a few moments but knew everything about.

"The man… The man that I met the other day… It.." I inhaled, swallowing the lump in my throat before staring up into Adam's eyes, "It was Alexander."


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Can I Be the Only Hope For You, Cause You're the Only Hope For Me  
Adam's POV**

Drake's confession left me a little unnerved. I knew Drake would never actually lie to my face. He would sometimes refuse to talk to me, like he did with Brad and then with not telling me who he had met in the gardens. But… Alexander couldn't really be alive. It wasn't possible.

Alexander was _not_ alive.

I, of all people, would have known that! He died in my arms, for Ra's sake! I wasn't accusing Drake of lying, but it couldn't possibly be true. Maybe it was just someone who looked like Drake and he jumped to some sort of insane conclusion. Then again, Drake told me that when he said "Alexander?" to the man, he addressed him as if that was who he was. He begged Drake not to tell me about him. Why? That confused me. If Alexander was alive all this time, why wouldn't he have come back? We had been so deeply in love! Why wouldn't he have come back to me?

And, if he was alive, how was it possible that I, along with everyone else, believed that he was dead? He died _in my arms!_ I didn't just imagine that! I felt the life leave his body and I cried for days upon days at my loss. Alexander was dead and if he wasn't dead, there had been some extreme medication involved to get him to a state where he appeared to be gone but was really still alive.

I didn't want to believe any of this. If Alexander was alive, I had been living a lie for almost a decade. I didn't want to believe that he was still here and, if he truly was, did Drake actually lie to me about him begging Drake not to tell me about him? Let's face it, if Alexander was still alive and Drake knew, he was liable to feel threatened by the reappearance of my first love. What if he felt that, if he told me, I would leave him and seek out my original lover instead?

I hated believing Drake would do something so selfish. He wasn't a selfish person in the slightest, aside from the time he destroyed Alexander's statue. Thinking about that really didn't help. If Drake had hated Alexander so much then, his hatred could increase tenfold now. But… no, that wasn't fucking true! Drake didn't hate Alexander, he was jealous of him and afraid of him. He rebuilt that statue to be even more beautiful that it had been originally! He did that out of all the love in his heart. Surely he didn't hate Alexander so much…

Drake went to bed shortly after admitting who he had been talking to. I searched his eyes for any signs of lying to me, but I couldn't find any traces of untruthfulness. He looked like he was ready to cry as he disappeared into his studio. I wanted to go to bed with him, try to comfort him, maybe, but I was far too confused to do anything for myself, let alone him. Right now, I needed to just think.

For a while, I sat staring at the statue of Drake's little sister. I wished dearly that she was still alive. I would have loved to have her running around my palace… She brought me peace for a while, but eventually everything Drake had told me was too overpowering. I was fidgeting and twitching. I couldn't sit still any longer and I stood, pushing my way back into the palace. The sun had long since set and I wondered just how long I had been sitting in the gardens.

My path was clear the moment I stepped into the corridor of the palace. I needed to talk to Alexander. Well, the object that represented Alexander, anyway. Lately I hadn't really gone to talk to him much due to being naturally busy as the Pharaoh of Egypt, but also because I had Drake. I was in love again and I was married to this love. I spent any and all free time with him and, as ashamed as I was to admit it, Alexander had been put on a back burner. I missed him greatly, but he wasn't the only person I ever loved anymore. My love for Drake burned just as passionately as my love for Alexander's had, perhaps even more so…

Right now, a trip to the library was crucial. Even if to give me some sort of false relief to my out of control mind, I didn't care. I just needed my thoughts and my confusion to stop racing around my already-overly stressed brain. Maybe talking to the peacock statue that still stood proudly in the library would calm me down enough to return to my chambers and curl up with Drake. Tonight was not the sort of night to make endless hours of love to the boy, but holding him tightly sounded nice. Sleeping with him curled up against me sounded like perfection.

But I was too confused and wound up to even dream of sleeping right now.

My sandals slapped the stones of the corridor a little louder than I would have liked. I hoped I wasn't disturbing anyone who was attempting to get some sleep for themselves, but I couldn't help that I was more jogging than walking to the library. My heart was pounding, I felt desperate and I had no idea as to why.

When the large, wooden slabs that made up the library doors came into view, my heart was going a mile a minute in my chest. I paused, putting my hands on the smooth wood before pushing them open. I took deep, even breaths, trying to control my heartbeat, but nothing I did was able to calm it.

The library itself hung in an eerie silence. It left me a little chilled, but I pushed the door shut behind me and locked it like it was any other visit to Alexander. Normally the library was left open for anyone in the palace to use, but when I came to visit Alexander, I tended to lock people out so it would just be me and him.

The statue stood in the center of the library, as if had every other day since it had been built, minus the month it took to rebuild it after Brad fucked everything over for the final time. I walked over to the majestic bird, sitting down on the base of the statue and looking up. I used to sit on the rug placed in front of the peacock, to get a better view of it, but that had been one of the two locations where Bradley, my old adviser, had raped my husband. I had the rug burned, but the memory of what had happened still lingered in that area.

"Alex…" I whispered up to the bird as I leaned against its legs. I wrapped my arms around them, as if I were hugging Alexander himself instead of a cold, unfeeling statue. "Drake told me that he met you in the gardens a few days ago. I… want it to be true, but how could it possibly be true? You died in my arms… and, even if you weren't dead, we couldn't be together. I'm in love with Drake…" I whispered, closing my eyes and resting my head against the cool statue. It was calming to my feverish (and when I say that, I mean hot, not sick) skin.

I waited for a few minutes, as if the bird would come to life and respond to me. I could almost picture Alex sitting next to me with a gentle smile on his face and a comforting hand on my knee. _"It doesn't matter if we can't be together. Drake loves you and you love him too. You should be with him."_ That sounded exactly like something he would have said to me, too.

"Alex…" I whispered again, opening my eyes to look up at the bird's rich, ocean eyes. "If you aren't dead, why haven't you come to see me? Why… haven't you tried to come back so we could have been together? Before I found Drake, I suffered heartache over losing you every minute of every day. Why didn't you come back? Didn't you want to be with me again?" I mumbled, feeling tears stinging my eyes. Why wouldn't he have wanted to be with me again?!

Unless… Unless that's truly why he didn't come back. He didn't want to be with me anymore. Would that have explained why he…

"Did you fake your death to get away from me, Alex?" I muttered miserably. I never wanted to believe that something like that was true. Alexander and I were madly in love! He wouldn't have just run out on me like that. He loved me, right? He wouldn't have tried to get away from me by crushing my heart with his death! "If you truly wanted to be released from me, all you had to do was say so, Alex… It would have hurt to let you go but I would have! It would have been easier than thinking you died!" I cried, clinging tightly to the statue. Surely none of that was true. Alex loved me, he _loved_ me.

There had to be another explanation for what happened.

It still seemed unlikely that Alexander was even alive, but I found myself already believing it was true. Drake wouldn't have lied to me about meeting Alexander, and if he was convinced that the man he met was Alex, then it probably was. Maybe it was a fucking ghost, who knows? Drake wouldn't have played with my emotions like that and, if Alexander wasn't alive, why would he even say that? It would just start problems between us anyway.

Again the library fell into an extremely uncomfortable silence. I swore that I could hear my own heart thrashing in my chest. "Please Ra… Have mercy and send me some sort of sign! I simply cannot deal with this!" I cried. "I have to know the truth. Drake wouldn't lie to me, he wouldn't! That means that almost everything else over these ten years was a lie and I… I have to know!" I cried, practically screaming at the ceiling. Surely the Gods could hear me. Was this their sick sense of humor kicking in or something?

I waited for the Gods to answer me but I was greeted with a rather loud shattering noise from behind me. At first I thought of Drake tearing apart the library three years ago. Only this time it wasn't the same. Only one thing had shattered, instead of the entire library. I jumped to my feet, my eyes scanning every inch of the library.

There was a small display table set up between two large bookcases that had been knocked over. A few vases lay shattered on the stone floor with water and wilting flowers mixed among the miniature destruction. Whoever knocked it over clearly wasn't there anymore but the door hadn't opened, so they were still here, probably hiding among the bookcases.

Frowning, I approached the shelves around the knocked over table first. Glancing down every aisle as quickly as possible. I didn't want to chance losing whoever was in here. I'd gotten half way down the rows when I heard a _thud_ and a soft gasp. I whipped around on my heels, seeing the glimpse of creamy skin and chocolate colored locks. At first I thought it was Drake, but this man had none of the tattoos that Drake's skin sported. This man's hair was also a little shorter than Drake's, who was in need of a cut, much like myself.

My throat closed up. "Wait!" I called, my heart pounding in my chest. It couldn't really be…? "Stop!" The man stopped in mid step, hesitating before running for the door again. I chased after him. He was just unlocking the door when my hand closed around his arm, pulling him back. "Please… Just stop for a moment," I said, huffing a few times to catch my breath.

The man was ridged, stiff in my arms. He was staring at the wood of the door, his hair covering his face like a dark curtain. I took his shoulders into my hands and turned him around. He was the same height as Drake and he had an almost identical build. I was shaking softly as I reached up, pushing the man's hair out of his face.

I was speechless for several long minutes.

"Alexander?" I whispered, taking a step back. Alex stared at me with deep blue eyes like Drake's, only older. "Alex…"

He bit his lip hard, glancing away from me. "Adam…" he whispered back.

I could only stare at him. He even sounded exactly the same. My memories of him never faded, even with finding Drake. I had known everything there was to know about Alexander and if I remembered it, then it was definitely true. "How…?" I finally managed to squeak out.

Alexander bit his lip for a long time, probably bruising it, before he looked up at me. "Brad," he said and I felt my heart fall from my chest. Drake and Anna weren't Brad's only victims? That… shouldn't have been as shocking as it was. Brad didn't just become evil. He was probably always like that, he was just good at hiding it. He hadn't just preyed on my new lover but my original as well? How many other people had Brad tortured?

"What do you mean?" I asked, my bottom lip quivering softly.

"I didn't die ten years ago, I was injected with some sort of chemical that slowed my heart beat enough to make it seem like I was dead. The change was gradual, so it seemed like I was dying…" he explained. "I woke up about a week after it was declared I was dead. I was in a little house and Brad was with me. He…" Alexander looked away from me again, tears building up into his eyes. I had an instant flashback of the night Drake finally told me that Brad had been hurting him, raping him…

"He what, Alex?" I whispered, cupping his cheek in my hand. I brushed his tears away with my thumb as he began to tremble.

"He took out a knife and he told me that everyone thought I'd been dead for a week…" he started. "He told me that you were an emotional wreck and that, within a few weeks time you wouldn't be able to function enough to run the country. He walked over to where I was laying… He had me cuffed to the wall and I was almost completely naked, nothing but a skimpy pair of shorts on…" He stopped, his eyes searching mine for a moment. "He pulled my shorts off and he carved the tattoos on my hips off of my skin…" My heart stopped in my chest. The tattoos that Drake now had on his hips, Alexander had when we were together.

New tears began to pull out of Alexander's eyes. "He told me I wasn't yours anymore and that I was his. I was screaming, crying and begging him to stop but he wouldn't. He raped me that night and he left me locked in that room…" He took a shaky breath, trying not to break down into sobs. "He kept me locked in that place for what I eventually found out to be over three years…"

"Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my eyes pleading. I needed to know _why_.

"When I finally got away from Brad, I went back to the palace, but I saw you with that blond. From a distance, you looked happy. I saw the statue you built for me and I saw your tears for me, but I thought you loved that blond… And I was terrified of Brad. I stayed close enough to make sure Brad wasn't hurting other people, but I couldn't confront him and I couldn't possibly dream of coming between you and a new lover," he said, his eyes locking onto mine.

"Tommy? Tommy wasn't my lover… He was-" he cut me off.

"Your pleasure servant, I know. I didn't know that until you found Drake though. When you kept Drake, I thought you were using him to finally get over me. I saw how happy that beautiful boy made you and how crushed you were when you thought he ran away…" he mumbled, closing his eyes for only a moment. "I knew you were in love with him. I wasn't going to come between you and Drake. He was too precious to try to replace. Then I found out that Brad was being executed for abusing Drake the same way he did to me. It broke my heart…"

So Alexander was attached to Drake without even really knowing him. He had been acting as a sort of guardian angel for not only me, but everyone close to me. "You went to his execution?" I asked. Alex nodded.

"I wanted to come to you to tell you about Brad. I wanted to thousands of times but I was far too afraid of him. Once you was finally figured out, I didn't see any reason to come back. You were in love with Drake and I couldn't blame you. He's… truly the perfect boy. If I came back and, by some chance, you left Drake for me, I would never forgive myself. It would crush that boy…" he said. I nodded, knowing that was true. If I left Drake, I believed he would never recover from the feeling of heartbreak and betrayal. "You were happy, that was all that mattered." He didn't sound like he regretted his decisions at all. It sounded like all he cared about was that I was happy.

I took Alexander's hand in mine and took him over to a few chairs in the library. "Why did you ask Drake not to tell me about you?"

He frowned. "I should have figured he would crack… He loves you too much to keep things from you," he muttered. "I didn't really want you to know because I was afraid of ruining your relationship with that boy…. I'm sorry, Adam…"


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter Twenty-Three: It's Just Like Déjà Vu, Me Standing Here With You…  
Alexander's POV**

I thought I had been getting by in the passing years by merely watching Adam from a distance, secretly protecting him as much as I could. I thought it had always been enough to watch him be happy with other people, to see him smiling and laughing like he used to, even if it wasn't because of me. Perhaps I relied too heavily on cherishing him from a distance when I could've done more for him. Been more for him. I could've gone back to him. My love for him was endless, yes. But my fear was just as endless.

My fear, though, was not of raising question at my being "brought back" from death, as some people would have seen fit for me. It was not of being looked upon differently for being in a grave or a tomb for several years only to appear again as if time had done nothing to me. My fear was in the heart, or lack thereof, of Brad. My fear was his doing. While he was around, I could never go back to Adam.

I wish, though, that I could have been braver. I wish that I could have faced my fear of Brad and gone back to Adam's side where I belonged. But I couldn't do it. I didn't want to give Brad any initiative to, really, kill me or cause harm to Adam. Though, had he not caused harm enough when Adam believed me to be dead? Had that not been heartache and suffering enough?

Though, the three years I spent with Brad had to have been the most terrifying experience of my life. Three years I would never get back from that monster, no matter how long I lived. Three years of abuse, rape, endless torture and endless wishes to die only to live to see another day, over and over. I couldn't remember how many times I contemplated killing myself because of him. I could only remember the pain. The misery. The shame.

Oh, the shame had been so great. Letting myself succumb to Brad because I felt no hope in ever being free. The shame of knowing that my body enjoyed him. While my heart loathed him and my soul would never belong to him, my body recognized pleasure from the years I'd spent with Adam. It recognized being kissed, caressed, groped, pleasured and teased. It recognized and loved it all even if my heart knew it was always so wrong. The shame lie with my body…

I don't know how I managed to escape. Had Brad not been paying attention? Or had I just been cunning enough to realize that the monster, unknowingly, left the back door of that Ra-forsaken small house unlocked one day while he was out at the palace? I couldn't remember. I could only remember that I tried the door and he wasn't around and I ran like a madman to escape the haunting memories, knowing it would be stupid to return to the palace, no matter how much my heart ached for it.

But I did, anyway. I did and I saw Adam with the blond— Tommy, who was more beautiful than any other man I'd ever seen, apart from Adam— and, while my heart was crushed that I was no longer in his eyes, I could not jump in and expect to be taken back so quickly. I had rushed into the conclusion that they were lovers and that I was no more for Adam. I should have seen it, though, that Adam still had his tattoos on his hips and Tommy had none… That didn't process with me, though. I only saw their connection, and that was all I needed.

Still, though, I stayed away. I stayed away for several years; even when Drake had been brought to the palace before Adam, being chosen without hesitation. The first time I saw Drake, from the usual distance, I knew that he'd been chosen, mostly, for his resemblance to me. Was Adam trying to, still, get over me? Perhaps, at the time, yes. I could see in his eye, during those first few weeks with Drake that Adam only saw me in him, when I was eighteen again.

Even still, my image faded from his eyes as he fell for Drake. I could not blame him for loving Drake; the boy was perfect. Shy, innocent, bashful and yet so willing to learn and to accept his place as Adam's pleasure servant and, eventual, lover. So willing to put himself into the hands of Adam and Tommy, into their trust so that he could trust them in return.

From my distance, Drake fascinated me. He looked like me in every which way, but, I learned, that he was not me at all, either. He was more of the artistic type, I was more of the diplomatic type. We suited Adam perfectly in our own, unique way. But… Drake was perfect. I watched him fill the void that I'd left behind and, yet, claim Adam's heart— even all the parts that I couldn't.

Perhaps my fascination was a little deeper than I gave it credit for. I had not been witness to most of Drake's abuse, but I'd been in the market the day he and Tommy had gone— I saw them browsing— and I watched Brad grab Drake by the arm, pulling him away from Tommy. At the sight of that monster, taking another precious loved one of Adam's away, I knew I needed to do something… But, like it always had, my fear stopped me. My fear of Brad kept me from saving Drake…

It broke my heart, knowing that Drake was victim to what Brad had done to me. Knowing that he was being torn apart at the seams. Knowing that he was, more than likely, too terrified to tell Adam what was happening to him. After all, Brad was Adam's _trusted_ adviser, right? Though, more than my heartache at knowing Drake was, in more than one sense, just like me, I was enraged. I wanted nothing more than to hunt Brad down for myself and tear him apart for what he was doing, not only to Drake, but to Adam. To repeat his ways and try to tear Adam down again…

So many times… So many times, I wanted to tell Adam about Brad. About his traitorous schemes and his backstabbing crimes. So many times I wanted to go to Adam and tell him to have Brad executed for his plots to overthrow him and being Pharaoh. Brad was always power hungry. He'd told me, while I was locked up, that my death was going to be a sure fire stab to Adam's heart. That my death would be so traumatic that he wouldn't be able to rule Egypt. And, being that Adam had no children and no living relatives to know of, if he'd become ill-fit to rule, the advisers would step in until a replacement could be crowned.

Brad had planned to be that replacement. He wanted to tear Adam's Egypt apart and rebuild it as a dictatorship. He wanted slavery. He wanted power and wealth. He wanted things that Adam had been working so hard to change. To think that someone so cruel, so vicious and deceitful was so close to power already…

Needless to say, I was more than overjoyed when I watched Brad's execution. Watching him meet his fate before the Gods and all of Egypt. Watching him suffer for mine, Drake's and a young girl's suffering… My only regret was that I could not have gone before him, one last time, before his death to sneer in his face and spit on him. But I had to keep myself away. While I wanted Brad to see that I was alive and well, I couldn't risk Cassidy seeing me…

So, for another three years I stayed at a distance, watching Drake and Adam grow closer, watching Drake and Tommy stay close as they could be. Watching the love in Adam's heart grow and grow until I was sure that he would burst from such passion. Watching as they planned a wedding. A wedding that I'd always imagined sharing with Adam but had been torn away from…

Their love kept me away. But their marriage was what told me I needed to move on. Adam was happy and so balls deep with love that I had no place for him… Only, that wasn't true. I still had a place for him… The statue that he'd made for me in the library was his place for me. He knew I had a thing for peacocks, and he'd even made the bird's eyes blue enough to compete with my own.

I thought the distance had been enough, but being in the library, feeling Adam's hand on my arm told me otherwise. I shivered when he grabbed me, my heart skipping beats when he told me to wait. I told myself that I couldn't turn and leap into his arms like I wanted to. He wasn't mine anymore. He belonged to Drake just as much as Drake belonged to him. Adam still had his tattoos, but he'd also given them to Drake. And I no longer had mine. I wasn't Adam's anymore. He wasn't mine.

He gently took hold my shoulders, turning me back to face him. I kept my head bowed, not wanting to show my face. But, if anyone else would have walked in, they would have thought I was bowing my head out of respect. My hair, overgrown and in need of a trim, at least, curtained my face, hiding me from Adam. But, I knew, it wasn't going to last. He wanted to know. I could feel it radiating from him.

He brushed my hair out of my face, his fingers trembling lightly as he did so. His eyes studied my face, as if committing what had changed to the memory he already had of me. He was at a loss for words for several moments and, to be honest, so was I. I had always dreamed of being with Adam, being close to him, since I'd spent years being at a distance, but I'd never actually imagined that I'd feel his the weight of his gaze on me again. It hadn't happened in ten years.

But ten years had done nothing, almost. Adam looked the same, just wiser. His skin still glowed, his hair still shined, his eyes still held compassion and love and faith. He was still Adam, and I was still me. It was like ten years had not passed and we were lovers again…

"Alexander?" He whispered, disbelief in his tone. Even with me in his hands, staring up at him, he still didn't believe my existence. I couldn't blame him, though. He'd known me to be dead for ten years.

Shameful as it was, I'd been in the library to marvel at the statue he'd made for me when I heard him enter the massiveness of the room. I'd hidden in the comfort of shadows of bookcases, watching him as he knelt before the statue to speak to it as if it were me. I'd never been part of his conversations with the bird, but it was like watching from above a conversation of the two of us. He spoke like I was responding. He spoke like he knew what I would say…

Hearing him question my death and wonder if I'd faked it, myself, to get away from him hurt. I would never have… The moment I met Adam, when we were eighteen, I fell in love immediately. Sure, he was the Pharaoh of all of Egypt and heavily instructed by his father, but I loved him. I loved him more than I'd loved my own family, more than anyone I had ever known in my life. Hearing him say that he thought I'd faked it all on my own was like a knife through my chest, but I knew that he was conflicted.

While he spoke, I got closer and closer, wanting to reach out and touch him. Wanting to actually _speak_ to him! I had every right to desire a conversation with him! I was taken from him under the guise of death! I hadn't spoken to him, touched him, hugged him, kissed him or loved him in ten years. And to have him so close and _alone_ was almost too much to bear. Brad was gone, what harm was there?

And then I had to run into the fucking side table.

I fled, instantly, upon bumping into it. I was halfway down the aisle of books before the vase shattered down the floor and I knew that I would be a good distance from the area before Adam could even turn around. But that hadn't stopped my racing heart and to hear his footfalls so close behind me; I could almost feel his breath on my neck.

"Alex…" His eyes began to recognize me and I swallowed the lump in my throat, staring back into his, my heart melting in my chest.

"Adam." I replied, barely trusting my voice. But it was loud enough for Adam to hear and to understand that I wasn't some sort of illusion. That I was real. Alive. Standing before him and in his grasp.

He asked me how and I spilled my story, telling him of Brad drugging me and kidnapping me, carving out the tattoos of "lover" from my hips, breaking the bond that I had with Adam and our love. I told him that I had become Brad's sex slave, his little puppet for three years before escaping. I told him how badly I wanted to return to him, but that I was afraid of Brad and I knew that I couldn't come between him and any lover he would have.

I told him that all that mattered to me was his happiness and that I didn't dare try to go between him and Drake. There was a part of me that had grown attached to Drake, that had become protective of him since he endured the same things I had. I couldn't risk my love for Adam to divide them when Drake was so head over heels for Adam.

Adam took my hand in his, pulling me through the library to a set of chairs, sitting down with me across from him. He asked me why I'd asked Drake not to tell him and I sighed softly, frowning. Part of me had feared that Drake was going to tell Adam, but I couldn't put it past him, all the same. Their love was strong, and with love came the necessity of honesty and trust.

"I should have figured he would crack… He loves you too much to keep things from you," I told him, my voice soft. "I didn't really want you to know because I was afraid of ruining your relationship with that boy… I'm sorry, Adam." I said, looking away from him. Adam shook his head a little bit, squeezing my hand in his.

"Alex… I love you… I've always loved you and I will continue to love you, but Drake is my husband. You should not have had to fear ruining our relationship. Drake knows that I wouldn't leave him.." Adam spoke carefully, no doubt cautious of hurting me. He didn't in the least. I understood completely.

"I just… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't braver. I'm sorry I…" I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes again. One spilled over, rolling down my cheek. Adam reached over, wiping it away with the pads of his fingers.

I knew it was no longer my place, but I missed him and I wanted him. I leaned into the touch for a moment, reminiscing on all the passionate nights and playful moments that we had together. The tenderness of our love before I remembered that he was a married, devoted man and I pulled away, feeling my face heat up a little bit as I wiped away the remainder of my tears.

"Alex, you shouldn't.. You don't have to feel upset about this." Adam said, his voice so low it was almost a whisper. I looked over at him, staring into his eyes in the darkness of the library. After ten years, Adam hadn't changed a bit other than the fact he'd gotten a little older, a little wiser…

"Is that what you told Drake when he confessed to what Brad had done to him?" I asked quietly. I meant nothing harmful about it. I was only curious. Adam blinked for a moment before chuckling softly.

"Yes, I did, Alex." He said, and I chuckled in return. Adam stared at me with a pleasant smile in his face and he sighed softly, shifting in his chair to face me a little more than before. I felt my cheeks flame with a delicate blush and I looked away for a moment. But that didn't lessen the weight of Adam's eyes on me. I should have known this would happen if we were to meet again, but the idea never crossed my mind. And now that I was here, I wasn't sure what to do…

"I've missed you," he whispered to me. I looked back up at him, smiling faintly as I reached out, taking his hands in mine.

"I've missed you…" I admitted, smiling shyly at him.

"Adam?" My heart stopped in my chest and I let go of Adam's hands almost immediately. I didn't know Drake very well, but his voice was very distinct. On top of embarrassment, I felt shame. It had been my hope that, if I were to ever get mingled back into Adam's life, I would be on Drake's good side. After all, I was Adam's first love…

I really didn't want to compromise everything so soon…


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter Twenty-Four: My Love Will Drive Away the Sunshine  
Drake's POV**

I'd gone to bed almost immediately after I admitted to Adam that I met Alexander in the gardens. I knew he didn't believe me and that hurt enough, but knowing that there was a chance that his feelings for Alexander were resurfacing? That was just as painful as Adam believing I was lying to him.

I was exhausted and I was drained, but the reason I said I was going to bed so early was mostly to get away from Adam for a while. I loved him, of course, but the atmosphere was too thick for me to even breathe. With everything else that had been going on lately, this wasn't really helping anything.

So I pulled myself into the palace, tears stinging my eyes for reasons that, by themselves, shouldn't have caused a break down, but bunched up together sent me into a state of uncontrollable emotions. Better anguish and depression than anger and rage, I supposed. It could have been worse. I could have been lashing out at people, hurting people. That wasn't me. I'd rather sit alone and cry.

Stripping out of one of the many outfits that Adam usually drooled over, I pulled on loose fitting shorts and crawled into the massive bed alone. It was sad to think that love had not been made on these sheets in quite some time. If I remembered correctly, the last time Adam and I had truly gotten to make love was on our wedding night. All the stress of the last few weeks just killed our sexual appetite. What energy was ever left for such activities?

The silence of the room was almost disturbing. I'd never gone to bed alone before and being in such a massive bed, alone, wasn't comforting. I wanted Adam's toned arms around my waist and I wanted to use him as a pillow instead of actual pillows. I wanted to fall asleep to the beating of his heart and the evenness of his breathing, but because I had left him in the gardens, I had no comforting sounds to lull me to sleep.

Eventually my racing thoughts, the silent tears streaming down my cheeks and into my hair and pillows, and the eerie silence of the room was just way too much for me to handle. I sat up, quickly pushing the tears off of my cheeks and jumping out of bed. I pulled a cream colored over shirt from the wardrobe on one side of the massive wardrobe. There was an identical one on the other side for Adam's clothes and the vanity had two chairs, in case we, for whatever reason, needed to do makeup at the same time.

I pulled the shirt on, rolling the cuffs up to my elbows and left it unbuttoned. Most of the palace would be asleep by now, so I didn't have to worry about too many people staring at my exposed torso, not that I wasn't already used to it. My clothes were usually more revealing… I left the room with no further preparation.

There was little doubt in my mind as to where Adam was located. I was so positive that he was in the library, I would have bet a million gold pieces on it. I didn't check anywhere else on my way to the library. A few servants were still up, attempting to clean while no one was around to run it and what not, but I ignored all of them. They would bow at my new found title, but even before I was the Pharaoh's husband they bowed their heads at me. It was something I never truly got used to but I ignored it a lot of the time, especially now.

Once the doors to the library came into view, I found myself holding my breath. I couldn't exactly tell you why, but I couldn't breathe right. I needed to apologize to Adam or something, even though I did nothing wrong and had absolutely nothing to apologize for. I needed to just get him to come to bed. We both needed to calm down and get a good night's rest. I wasn't going to accomplish that by trying to sleep alone in that massive room. It was just too overwhelming.

I turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open. I was a little wary that maybe I had been wrong in my assumptions because Adam usually locked the door when he was in the library with Alexander. I didn't, truly, understand the need to lock himself in, but I wasn't ever going to mention that to him. It wasn't my place. I peaked in, not seeing anything but darkness and shadows cast from the bookshelves by moonlight. I turned to leave, but I heard a soft voice speaking and almost immediately recognized it as my husband's.

"Adam?" I called, pushing the door open even to allow myself to slip through. I didn't bother closing the door as I walked in the direction of the voice. The library was never a place that I truly liked to be for long periods of time, especially by myself. It was a mixture of Alexander's lingering presence and the memory of what Brad had done to me in front of his statue. I didn't feel comfortable in the library and, generally, when I came here, I took what I needed from the shelves, so I could take my work elsewhere.

That didn't stop me from knowing the entire layout of the library by heart. I wandered towards the sitting area a few meters away from Alexander's statue. I expected to see Adam sitting with the peacock in the ring, but the statue was abandoned. That really only left the sitting area. What I expected to find was a conflicted Adam, trying to sort things out. Perhaps trying to find comfort in a book or something, but I never expected him to find him with someone else.

The first image that greeted me was Adam and a smaller man scooting back in their chairs, as if they had just pulled away from each other. The second thing that I saw was not Adam's face or anything about Adam at all, but chocolate hair raining down around a beautiful face that matched mine in grace but exceeded mine in years.

I didn't want to come off as selfish or rude or one to jump the gun, but the moment my eyes fell on Alexander, a familiar burning hatred coursed through my blood. The only other time I ever remembered feeling like this was when Brad had first told me about Alexander, the day before his execution. They day I had completely destroyed the library and run away from the palace… That day I had not been able to control my anger. It consumed me. Today I had much more control over myself and the anger coursing through me was a mere ghost of what it had been three years ago.

"Drake," Adam said, standing from his chair the instant his eyes fell on me. I wondered if my face betrayed my emotions to him, or if he was just shocked to see me and didn't want me to think that he and Alexander were doing anything they shouldn't. "Honey, I thought you went to bed…" he whispered, cupping my face in his hands. He wanted me to look at him, but I was staring past him, at Alexander.

"I couldn't sleep in that giant bed alone," I told him, frowning a little. "But I didn't realize you had company…" My eyes were locked on the brunette just a short distance away. Seeing him in the gardens was one thing. That was open to the public, and while I felt that it wasn't exactly his place to be so close to the palace when he wasn't part of it anymore, I had no room to say anything, but to be _inside_ the palace? That angered me. This wasn't his home anymore, it was mine.

Adam wasn't his anymore, he was _mine_. The ring on my left hand and the crown that I wore to official affairs were mere tokens of the fact that Adam and I _belonged_ to each other.

"I didn't expect to find Alex…" he whispered. For some reason, shortening Alexander's name annoyed me too because it was a form of a pet name. He'd always referred to him as Alexander while tell me about him but now he was just "Alex"? "I just came here to think for a while and he was in here. We just ran into each other…" Alexander was in the palace without being invited in? Was I the only person who had a problem with this? Apparently so… Of course Adam didn't have a fucking problem with it…

"Well, it's late… So I think it's probably time for bed," I said, as softly and as kindly as I could, but I wasn't feeling very kind. I wanted to know what they were talking about before I came in. I wanted to know why they were _pulling away from each other_ when I came in. Surely… surely they hadn't been kissing or something. Adam wouldn't do that to me, right?

 _Now that he's seen Alexander, you may only be second best. For all you know, you could be getting a divorce tomorrow so Adam can return to his true love._ I almost choked at that damned voice lingering in the back of my head. I couldn't really believe that Adam didn't love me, could I? He'd given me everything, taken care of me. He promised that his original love for Alexander didn't stop him from loving me just as much. He said "if not more". Adam said that! At the time he sounded so sincere about it but that was when he thought Alexander was dead. Of course it was easy to say then…

"Alright baby," he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead before turning to face Alexander. "Why don't you come with us? I'll take you to a guest room." I wanted to hit him. He shouldn't have made a decision to let him stay like that. I had just as much say in who our company was and I wasn't sure I could deal with having Alexander so close all the time. What if Adam really did leave me to go back to him? Or worse, was with him behind my back?

Alexander glanced at me, seeming a little uncertain before he nodded, pushing himself out of the chair and to his feet. "Alright. Thank you. I'll… be on my way first thing in the morning," he said, joining us. Relief washed through me.

Until Adam spoke, that is. "Oh no, Alex, please stay. Join us for breakfast and we'll… figure things out from there," Adam said. Alexander looked at me for a moment as my eyes narrowed. I wanted to protest, but I didn't. Alexander looked like he was conflicted but, like me, he couldn't deny Adam's request.

"Alright Ad- My Pharaoh," he said. Adam frowned at him but I simply tugged Adam's arm, pulling him out of the library. Now I loathed this room even more than I did ten minutes ago. I hated feeling so hatful, but could I really be blamed? If Alexander was constantly around the palace, Adam would probably fall right back in love with him. I couldn't handle that. Adam was my entire life. I gave him everything. If I were to lose him? I wouldn't have anything left for me… Well, I would have Tommy but I couldn't just tell him something like 'well now that Adam dumped me, I'd be happy to be with you'. No, that was too cold and heartless.

Adam gave Alexander a guest room down the corridor, adjacent to the one our bedroom was on, and having him so close put me on edge even more. Adam wished him good night and they smiled at each other.

"Good night, Adam," he said and I could hear the love in his tone. Fucking hell… Alexander turned to me. "And good night to you too, Drake. I hope you won't be too uncomfortable with me staying here for a while…" he said, sounding sincere, but I really didn't fucking care how much it sounded like he meant what he said. I didn't like this at all.

It may have been rude, but I turned away from him without answering him or wishing him a good night. I imaged Adam giving him an apologetic look before following after me. I didn't stop to face him until we were in our bedroom with the door closed.

"That was rude, Drake…" Adam said, frowning at me.

I turned to face him. "Rude? No Adam, what was rude was inviting him to stay in our home without talking to me about it. I get that you're not completely over him. I get that… you probably never will be…" Fuck, that hurt so much to say. "I get it, alright? But can you think about how this makes me feel? Can you think about _my_ feelings for a moment?"

He sighed softly, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Baby, I know that this is awkward and everything. I know that, but Alex isn't going to come between us, I promise. Drake-" he paused, pulling me against him, his arms tightly around me. "I love you, Boo. You're my husband and I didn't marry you because I believed I would never get anything better. I married you because you are the _best_ ," he said, pressing his lips to my forehead before bending down a little to press his lips to mine.

I couldn't fight the moan that ripped itself from my throat. I was upset and I didn't want to just give into him like this, but I melted. He always had this affect on me, as much as I hated it sometimes, like right now. He pulled back, rubbing my cheek gently. "Does him being here really upset you?" he whispered, his forehead pressed to mine. How did he always make my heart soft? I couldn't ever deny him and, if he really wanted Alexander to stay, I would never truly be able to tell him no… That I firmly believed.

"No…" I lied, turning out of Adam's arms to walk over to the bed. "No it doesn't… Not that much…"


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter Twenty-Five: There's Always Something Going Wrong**

 **Adam's POV**

Part of me knew that Drake was lying when he said that he wasn't really bothered by Alex staying with us. Part of me didn't want to accept that he was lying, either, however I knew that I had to. I tried to keep in mind of his feelings and his fears of Alex's presence in the palace, I really did. But could I be blamed…? Alex had been dead— or, so I had been told— for ten years. Was it wrong of me to want him back in my life, even though he wouldn't be my lover?

I didn't like going to bed feeling the way that I did. Drake could try to hide his true feelings all he wanted, but I knew that he was upset. I could see it in the tension of his body and in his eyes. Not to mention how rude he was to Alex. Alex had, politely, bid Drake goodnight, and Drake just walked off. That hurt, and it hurt Alex, too. But I didn't want Drake to think that I was siding with Alex. I didn't want him to think that I was going to leave him or cheat on him, because I would never.

Needless to say, I feel asleep with a bit of a headache and woke up with one that was ten times worse. Drake was still snuggled up into my arms, his head on my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair, smiling softly to myself. In sleep, he looked so at peace. Like the past few weeks hadn't done a thing to him. Between our marriage and his family getting settled to Tommy getting sick and Alexander showing up..

I sighed softly, bending my head a little to kiss his skin. He shifted in my arms, snuggling closer to my side, but he did not wake. Even after three years, he was still a heavy sleeper. He was better about responding to certain touches in his sleep, but he wasn't as quick as Tommy. Tommy…

I eased myself from the comfort of Drake's cuddling, keeping sure not to wake him up as I slipped from the bed. I shuffled over towards my wardrobe, pulling the doors open quietly before snatching a loose fitting shirt from inside, slipping my arms into it. I was still in the trousers I wore yesterday, and I didn't bother to button the shirt in the least. I didn't bother with sandals, either.

Closing the doors again, I took a glance into the mirror of my vanity, fixing my hair a little before turning, seeing Drake still fast asleep on our massive bed. I smiled again, quietly making my way across the room and out of the large doors.

It was earlier than I thought it was. The sun was barely peaking itself above the Eastern horizon as I shut the doors of mine and Drake's chamber, letting my love sleep in peace. The sky was a soft pink in color, washing across and fading into blue as the sun came higher. I sighed softly, turning to my right before walking down the hall. My heart was in two different places— to Tommy or to Alex?

I decided to visit Tommy first. I hadn't gone to see him since his serving boy, Elijah, told us that he wasn't waking up. My heart clenched in my chest and I shook my head, fighting off the sting of tears. I was thankful that none of the servants were up and in this part of the palace yet. I did not wish to start crying and have them see me in such a weak state.

I reached Tommy's door, my hand curling around the handle before I pushed it open, stepping inside. The room was warm, but not unbearably so. The mural Drake had painted looking as fresh and vibrant as if he'd just put it there yesterday. Every time I saw it, it took my breath away. Drake's work was always so stunning and so masterful, even though he was so young.

I turned my attention to Tommy, seeing his eyes still shut in their slumber, his chest slowly rising and falling with breath. His arms were at his sides and his head perfectly centered on his pillow, facing up to the ceiling. My guess was that he hadn't moved since the doctor had checked on him a few days ago. Any sudden hope of his getting better deflated and I felt miserable.

Slowly, I made my way to Tommy's side, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. I was so used to him rising at the smallest of sounds and simplest of touches that, when I touched his cheek and he didn't respond, I thought I was going to cry. A whimper fell off my lips and my heart clenched again.

Though Tommy and I were not, truly, the lovers that Drake and I were— that Alex and I used to be— he was still close to me; to my heart. He was my best friend. More trusted to me than anyone else, other than Cassidy and Brad, before I found out how fucked up he was. I swallowed the lump in my throat, trailing my fingertips along Tommy's jaw line. He may've been down with fever, but his body was still functioning. There was a touch of peach fuzz along his chin and jaw, making his skin stubbly.

"It's quiet without you around, Tommy… Too quiet, for my liking. Drake and I miss you terribly," I whispered to him, though I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was out of habit? He looked like he was sleeping— why not pretend that's all he's doing? Why not pretend he's only taking a nap instead of, potentially, dying…

"I miss seeing your smile. I miss hearing you laugh… I miss you, Tommy…" I said gently, taking Tommy's right hand in both of mine. His hands were cold, but the rest of him was warm or hot. I sighed softly, rubbing circles into the back of his palm with my thumb.

"It seems, though, out of all of this… That Alexander is back.. He's alive… I'm still trying to understand how— though he told me the story. It was Brad… Brad was behind his supposed-death. Shocking, huh?" I added with a sarcastic laugh, though it was forced and lifeless. Pointless. I sighed again.

"I spoke with him in the library— fitting, right?— and it was like nothing had changed. Like ten years hadn't passed and I'd never met you or Drake… Though, there was a lot less kissing and such… Not that I mind. I'm more than happy with Drake being my lover. So much more…" I said quietly, not hearing the click of the door before I heard a voice.

"Adam?" I turned, seeing Alex standing by the door, dressed in white trousers and a dark blue shirt— the same clothes I'd seen him in last night. I blinked once, my heart skipping a beat before going frantic in my chest. For a moment, I thought Drake had stepped into the room, but Alex did not have the tattoos that Drake had.

"Alex…" I whispered, my voice going no louder. Alex's eyes fell on Tommy's face and he frowned slightly.

"Tommy?" He suggested, and I nodded once, turning my attention back to the sickly blond. I heard Alex's footfalls on the stone floor before he joined my side, placing a hand on my shoulder, looking down at Tommy.

"He's sick. With a fever." I told Alex, my voice quiet and trembling lightly. Was this some sort of punishment of the Gods? Was I to lose Tommy— one of my best and closest friends— and gain an old lover back, though, at the added cost of my husband's happiness? Was I to suffer so much in so little of a time, shortly after the most beautiful and greatest night of my life?

Alex tensed beside me after I spoke, and he let out a shuddered breath. He knew, better than anyone, what it was like to be in Tommy's position. To be so sick like that. He knew what it was to be so weak and helpless. He knew what it was to slip into an embrace like that of Death's and come back from it. But how long did it take…?

"Is he going to be alright?" Alex asked, not looking at me. I sighed, blinking away the tears.

"I do not know. The doctor believes so, but he said that Tommy is in a comatose state, though, from the fever or something else, he's not sure." I explained, remembering the doctor's words very clearly, as if they were a haunting melody in my ears, constantly playing.

Alex reached forward, running his finger's along Tommy's cheek before stroking his hair gently, "He's beautiful. Even when he's ill…" Alex commented, an underlying tone in his voice that was unfamiliar and yet so familiar all the same. I glanced over at him, seeing a sort of distance in his eyes. But, whether that was from memories of his own fever or not, I couldn't tell.

He let his hand fall away before turning to me, "We should probably leave. It would not do well for you to get sick, too," he suggested, his hand slipping off of my shoulder. I frowned at the loss of his touch, but I didn't say anything. Yes, I missed him and I missed our love. But I was committed and I wasn't going to let an old fire compromise the blaze of love that I had now.

I stood from the edge of Tommy's bed, glancing down at him one more time before leaving with Alex. The silence and pressure of the room was more weight on my shoulders than I had given it credit for, because, when I left, my heart didn't feel nearly as heavy as it had. I sighed heavily, falling in step beside Alex as we walked down the hallway.

Still, few servants were about. Alex was tense at my side and, I knew, it was because he was back in the palace. Most of the servants would, no doubt, mistake him for being Drake; they were young. But there were some who had been serving since my father's reign. They would remember Alex. And they would, probably, faint at the sight of him, being alive.

"Drake does not take kindly to my presence," Alex's voice was sudden in the silence, and his tone was not of question but of matter-of-fact. I sighed again, feeling my shoulders sag just a touch as we walked.

"No. No he does not." I admitted, gently biting down on my bottom lip as we walked, our pace slow and steady. Alex nodded once, looking straight ahead.

"I figured. I cannot blame him, though. I've come into his home. In his eyes, I'm, no doubt, a threat to the love you two share, since I was your first," he commented quietly, and I felt a light blush cross my face. "It was never, really, my intention to make him uncomfortable… Nor was it my intention to come back…" His voice trailed off and I frowned deeply.

"Why, Alex?" I questioned, stopping our walk before placing a hand on his shoulder. Alex did not look at me; he kept his head bowed out of respect of my status, though, I wanted so badly to look at his face… to look into his eyes.

"Because you are Pharaoh and Drake is your Husband. You share an eternal bond and I'm upsetting him with my presence in this place." Alex's voice quivered lightly, but it was strong, if not, pained. I sighed, wishing, for a moment, that I was just as low in status as him so that he could look in my face without feeling like he was being too bold.

"Alex—" I began to say, when I heard Drake's voice not far from us.

"Adam?" I looked over at him, seeing a scrutinizing expression on his face as he eyed Alex, whose head was still bowed. I sighed.

"Drake," I acknowledge him, and his eyes met mine, soft as they met.

"I woke and you weren't there…" He muttered and I sighed softly, dropping my hand from Alex's shoulder.

"I was visiting Tommy and I ran into Alexander on the way," I said, fighting the pain in my heart at using Alex's full name. I'd always called him Alex, unless I was referring him to someone else. I called him Alex when he'd been mine ten years ago, and the habit never died. It was like calling Tommy by Tommy instead of Thomas. Less formal. More personal. More meaningful…

"How is he?" Drake asked, his voice softening. He seemed to forget that Alex was with us, for his eyes were locked on mine and his expression was eager to know. I sighed.

"No better, but no worse. He's resting, and we can only hope he'll wake, soon," I told him, watching his shoulders sag and his expression sadden. I licked my lips, "for now, let us three have some breakfast, alright?" I suggested, and Alex spoke without lifting his head any.

"If I may, My Pharaoh—" I frowned, but didn't say anything, "— I would much rather pack some provisions and be on my way. I've overstayed my welcome…" I shook my head a little, noticing Drake's hardened expression out of the corner of my eye, but I paid him no mind.

"No, Alex, you will stay and you will eat. You'll bathe, get a fresh change of clothes and we'll go from there. You will not leave today." I told him, clipping the tone of my voice so that he understood this was an order as Pharaoh to commoner— though he'd always be more than just a commoner in my heart— than as friend to friend.

"Adam…" Drake murmured softly and I turned towards him.

"No, Drake." I warned, growing tired of his discomfort with Alex. Alex shifted from one foot to the other, still refusing to lift his head to me despite the fact that I'd addressed him more than enough times. Why was he acting like this?

"My Pharaoh, please, I do not wish to intrude any longer—" I sighed.

"Be still. Pharaoh speaks," I hissed, sounding more like my father than myself. Drake stared at me with wide eyes, no doubt unfamiliar with the tone of order in my voice. I sighed, feeling exhausted as I stared at Alex's bowed form. "You will stay. You will be fed and clothed and, until further order, you will be a guest in my home here. Should you leave without my word of permission, you will shame all of Egypt." Alex tensed, nodding once. I sighed again, reaching forward and taking his chin in my hand, lifting his head and forcing his eyes to meet mine.

"I do not like to give orders like this, Alex, but please… Do not leave so soon after coming back into my life…" I whispered quietly, knowing that my words were hurting Drake. It was not my intention to hurt him, but there was nothing else I could do. I wasn't going to let Alex leave my life for a second time when he'd just come back into it.


	81. Chapter 81

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Gotta Show a Little Leg, Gotta Shimmy Your Chest  
Hiei's POV  
**  
The atmosphere of the palace was constantly tense. The Pharaoh didn't seem to be doing so well and neither did his husband. Personally, I didn't care about Pharaoh or his problems much, but seeing Drake so hurt and upset all the time was starting to get to me. I had a fondness for him because he did save me from being sent to prison, where I probably would have been turned into a sex doll. I owed him a lot and I felt bad for him.

I also didn't understand the older one that looked like Drake either. I knew very little about the people close to Pharaoh, besides Cassidy and Drake, but what I did manage to find out was that the man's name was Alexander. Honestly, I thought it was selfish of Adam to keep the man around when he was supposed to be happy with his husband. Drake didn't like that copy cat being around much, I could tell.

To be completely truthful, I wanted to help Drake. I wanted to be closer to him than I currently was, but I was _always_ doing chores that Cassidy monitored most of the time. We'd slowly opened up to each other and we could hold conversations now, but things were still awkward, especially when I caught him staring at my ass.

He seemed lonely, that much was obvious, but did that really mean he needed to stare at my ass all the time? I mean… sure, the attention was extremely nice but after a while, it made me a little uncomfortable, probably because of the fact that my father tried to sell me as a sex slave. But once I saw what a nice guy Cassidy really was, I kind of forgot about him occasionally sizing me up. I didn't want to admit it to anyone, not even myself, but I knew that I was beginning to like him. No one besides him treated me like an actual person.

I bent over, picking up a wet towel. Today I was cleaning off walls the same way I had cleaned the floors. Really? Who the fuck does this? When I stood back up to begin scrubbing, I glanced over at Cassidy who was, of course, staring at me again. I forced back the blush and turned on him. "You're staring again," I told him, putting my hands on my hips like an angry diva.

Cassidy's eyes widened and his face lit up to a nice, deep red. "I… apologize," he whispered, burying his nose back into his note pad.

"No," I told him, tossing the wet rag to the side and walking towards him.

He looked up at me again, an eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?" he asked, both threatening and confused.

"This is, like, the fourth time I've caught you staring at me this week!" I told him. "I'm sure there have also been times where I have not caught you, so-" I came to a halt right in front of him and put my hands back on my hips. "Is there actually a reason to your staring or do you stare at everyone? Surely you aren't some sort of sexual deviant."

"No! I'm not!" Cassidy exclaimed, flustered and determined to prove himself a good, honest man. "I don't stare at everyone and I-" I didn't give him a chance to finish.

"So it's just me you stare at then?" I asked, leaning forward a little. Cassidy was much bigger than me. He was well built and he was tall. I wasn't really. I had a build like Drake's and a height to match, but I was always one to hold my ground. I usually wasn't a fighter, but when it was necessary, I almost always won. Cassidy's size over me didn't scare me, especially when I towered over his sitting form.

He couldn't look me in the eye. He just kept looking away from me, fixating on anything he could manage, but the room was pretty bare. "Well…" he whispered, glancing up at me for just a moment before dropping his head. "Yes, to be completely honest…"

I hadn't expected that at all. My cheeks flamed against my will. "I…" I was dumbfounded. Why on earth would the Pharaoh's adviser even give me a second glance, let alone stare at me constantly? Over the last few days, I had been trying to answer that question, or to just convince myself that I was imagining this all together, but I wasn't. "Why?" I asked, more curious than anything.

Cassidy sighed, standing from the stone bench he'd been resting on and, suddenly, I was intimidated by him. He was just so tall and so important. I was merely a criminal that the Pharaoh's husband kind of related to. "I'm not sure," he admitted, staring out of a window for a while before turning to face me. "There's something mysterious and wonderful about you… Something that makes me need to know everything I possibly can about you. Something that makes me want to see every last inch of you and then explore the same path with more than just my eyes." I was sure I went even m ore red at that last statement.

"So…what… You're saying you like me, or something?" I asked, looking up at him through a vile of my hair.

"I'm enchanted by you," Cassidy said and I could hear the seriousness in his tone. It reflected in his chocolate eyes. "I can't explain why I'm so captivated by you, I really don't know, but I can't help but stare at you. Maybe I'm just so lonely, I'm not really sure."

"Because of your old lover?" I asked. "Did he make it hard for you to trust anyone else? Especially the people you find yourself attracted to?"

He sighed heavily and he stared out the window for a while before turning to face me again. "Yes," he admitted again. "And it doesn't really help that you are a… delinquent,"

I scoffed, closing the distance between us. "I'm not a delinquent," I insisted. "I was just doing what I needed to for survival." I pressed myself up against him. "Besides, I've heard you are rather attracted to boys who cross the line. Is that true?"

"No… No, of course that's not true," he said, groaning softly. I laughed, shaking my head as if to say 'yeah sure' and pushed him back down onto the bench. He probably could have stopped me easily if he wanted to, but something told me that he _didn't_ want to. "Hiei…" he whispered, glancing up at me. "What are you doing?"

I didn't reply, I simply climbed onto his lap, straddling his hips with my knees. My arms wound around his neck and our lips came together. A moan ripped from his throat and, as much as it was killing him, he surrendered to the kiss. It must have been hard for him to allow this kind of behavior, but I didn't care. This was fucking getting me out of work, for Ra's sake!

Not to mention, I did, kind of, sort of, like him… A little bit anyway.

He deepened the kiss, his arms snaking around my waist to pull me closer. I didn't protest it any. We were both still completely dressed, so I didn't have too much to actually protest. Cassidy, besides the fact that I also caught him staring at me, was a gentleman. Clearly he knew how to handle himself around attractive boys. If he didn't, he would have been all over the Pharaoh's husband and then he probably wouldn't have a job anymore.

My fingers weaved themselves into Cassidy's hair, pulling gently on it. He growled at me and I moaned, whimpering into his lips. He must have found that a turn on because his arms tightened, pulling me flush tight against him, not that I minded much. I whimpered again, pulling harshly on his hair just to see if he would growl at me again. He did and this time, he forced his tongue into my mouth.

I groaned, sucking on it as hard as I could manage. He shivered under me, moaning into my mouth as he began to pump his tongue in and out, effectively fucking my mouth with the muscle. Part of me, the part that was aching between my legs, wondered what his tongue would feel like pushing in and out of other areas of my body. The thought was enough to push my hips down against his and he gasped, quite loudly. His erection was plan as day.

I took the opportunity to force his tongue back into his mouth with my own. We moaned in unison as we switched rolls, him sucking on my tongue. Again, I wondered what it might be like to have him sucking off something else. Fucking Ra, one kiss with a man who finds me attractive and I'm suddenly wondering all sorts of naughty things? What the fuck?

"Hiei," Cassidy muttered against my lips, pulling back just a little. "This… probably isn't the most appropriate thing to be doing…" he whispered, his face flushed and his breathing heavy, matching mine. "I'm supposed to be watching you, keeping you out of trouble…"

"What better way than this? With me this close, you'll always know where I am," I retorted, leaning forwards enough to press my lips to the man's neck, kissing and nipping at the tanned flesh. He tasted salty and sweet at the same time. I had to admit, it was a rather enticing taste and it made my tongue tingle.

Cassidy gasped, settling into a soft growl. His hands fell to rest firmly on my hips. "We really shouldn't…"

"Why not?" I asked into his neck. "The Pharaoh has a beautiful husband that's nearly fifteen years younger than him. He's getting a lot of great service from him. Don't you deserve that too?" I asked. Truth was, I wanted to keep kissing him for two reasons, one being obvious, I didn't want to do anymore work, but I also wanted to keep going because I liked it.. Probably a little too much.

"I…" he began but it quickly died out. He probably realized that I was exactly right. What was so wrong with him stealing a few minutes of pleasure with someone he spent a lot of time with? It wasn't a secret that the Pharaoh got a whole lot of pleasure minutes from his young lover _every_ night. Well that might be changing due to that older version of Drake, but the point was still the same. "You're absolutely right…" he muttered, sighing in content as I left gentle kisses along his neck, jaw line and collar bone.

"Of course I am," I whispered into his skin, nipping at a few patches of skin before biting down on a long stretch of his neck. He cried out softly and I could feel his frame arch into me…I sucked hard, as if I were literally feeding from his blood. I was positive there would be a nice, big hickey there this time tomorrow. Hopefully he'd be able to hide it from the people who would judge him, or maybe he wouldn't. Maybe showing it off would be a good thing for him, who knows.

"Mm… Hiei…" he whispered, his hands trailing from my hips, up my sides, down and back up my back and into my hair, tangling his fingers into the mess. "Ra…" he whined, pulled gently on my long, flowing locks. I groaned, pulling away from the mark and admiring my handy work. "Fucking hell…"

"What?" I asked, blushing lightly. My lips, I could tell, were slightly swollen from the kissing and the biting/sucking, but I didn't care. Cassidy didn't really seem to mind either because he pressed his lips back to my, instantly drawing me into another sexual kiss.

We made out for quite some time. All clothing stayed on, but Cassidy liked to feel me up a lot. I surprisingly didn't mind it much at all and by the time he pulled away for the final time, I had an aching stiffness in my trousers, much like he did. "We should get ready for dinner…" he whispered softly against my lips. I knew that meant parting ways to get cleaned up and to take care of our little problems. Cassidy definitely wasn't one to fuck so soon.

Neither was I, really.

"Yes," I muttered. "We probably should…" But I really didn't want to get up or leave him at all.


	82. Chapter 82

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: What Came First; Love? Hurt?**

 **Drake's POV**

I suffered through the breakfast meal with Adam and Alexander, keeping mostly to myself and only speaking when I was directly spoken to. I no longer felt like Adam's husband and, instead, was reminded of my days when I was nothing more than his pleasure slave. When I had decent respect but not authority. To be utterly honest, it was not a feeling I enjoyed reliving.

There was just something about Alexander's presence that bothered me. I wasn't sure if it was the resemblance between us or if it was the fact that he had, essentially, invaded our home and was walking the halls just as freely as any other man. It must've been a mix of things that kept my attitude so bitter towards him. I had to give him credit, though; he _did_ try to tell Adam that he had intention to leave. Hetried to appease me.

That had been a few days ago. Since then, Adam has only made Alexander's stay more comfortable, more luxurious. He'd gotten Alexander a bigger, lush room with excellent furnishings with a view of the gardens while being near the library. He'd give Alexander new clothes, jewels and the like, giving him all he needed to doll himself up and reassume his roll—

No. He would not. Adam was _mine_. Alexander was _not_ going to take him away from me. I couldn't stop Adam from making Alexander comfortable in the palace, but I _could_ stop Alexander from getting close to Adam, again. And, if necessary, I would take extreme precautions.

But why was it such a big deal? Shouldn't I just trust Adam to be faithful to me? Were honesty, trust, loyalty and devotion not among the other promises and vows he made to me at our wedding? Had he not been saying, for years, that I was all he wanted and needed? Shouldn't that have been enough for me?

I sighed softly, running my fingers through my hair before setting the paintbrush down on a small side table next to the canvas that I had propped up. I was trying to find my muse to get my mind off of things, but every time I started painting, the first colors I would see were a deep ocean blue and a rich chocolate brown. My eyes and hair. Alexander's eyes and hair.

After each canvas, when I realized what I was painting, I would scrap it immediately.

I must've gone through ten canvases before giving up all together. All I wanted was for things to go back to the way they used to be… I wanted Tommy to be healthy, I wanted Anna to be alive, I wanted things to be easier between myself and Eric, I wanted Alexander out of the picture… Did I want him to, truly, be dead? No. I may not have liked him in the least, but I would never wish death upon him. But why did he have to come back into Adam's life and, in the process, compromise what Adam and I had built and created together? Why did he have to come back?

"Damnit!" I hissed, knocking over the side table, watching my paintbrushes and paints clatter to the floor, splattering a little. I sighed heavily, knowing that I needed to clean it up, but I had no desire to do such. I wanted to leave it and forget about this room and disregard the stack of slashed out canvases that were covered in angry stroke marks…

I turned on my heel, storming out of my studio and down the hall. The sun was beating through the windows, setting ablaze the soft stone and making me sweat a little. I was dressed in a simple pair of trousers and a shear shirt; nothing extravagant, but more than comfortable and modest. My hair was pulled back into its lopsided ponytail, hanging a little heavier because of its length.

I passed servants, uncaring of their bowed heads and concerned looks at the tension of my body. I didn't care for anything. I needed a walk or something to clear my head. Anything to get my mind off of Alexander and Adam and everything that had been going on and going wrong…

I wanted to visit Tommy. I hadn't done it in several days and, to be honest, I felt horrible for that. Adam had said that he wasn't doing any better, but that he wasn't doing worse, either. He was stable, but in a limbo of coma. I wasn't sure if was ever going to get better, but I had to hope. I had to hold onto the idea that he would be fine because, I knew, if I were to lose him, a part of me would be lost…

I shook my head a little, rounding a corner before running straight into my younger brother, Eric. Eric stumbled back and I reached out, taking his shoulders into my hands to steady him. He thanked me before looking up, and his eyes hardened at the sight of me. I frowned as he stepped away, inhaling slowly through his nose before bowing his head.

"My apologies, Sir. I did not meant to run into you," he said, his voice cold. I frowned further, placing my hands back on his shoulders, trying to pull him upright a little more.

"Eric, you don't have to bow to me…" I told him, but Eric didn't move at first. Instead, he kept his head bowed before lifting it slowly to look down at me, even if only by a few short inches.

"Is it not proper to bow before royalty, though?" Eric's choice of words were clipped and somewhat hostile. I bit down on my bottom lip, keeping my hands on his shoulders for a few minutes longer.

"It is proper, yes, but you are royalty, too. My marriage to the Pharaoh has given me royalty, and, as you are my brother, you are royal, too." I explained, but Eric's expression of hardened stone did not falter. If anything, it intensified and he looked as if he was judging me instead of acknowledging me.

"But since when would you know what proper is, My King?" Eric hissed and I stepped away, my hands sliding off of his shoulders. My heart thudded in my chest and, for some reason, I did not like the way he referred to me. Normally, I would have waved off the title, but he made it sound like it was degrading and chastising.

"Excuse me?" I questioned him, raising an eyebrow. Eric chuckled, shaking his head, his body rigid with tension. He refused to look at me as he spoke, which only upset me further.

"You abandoned us to be the Pharaoh's play thing… To bed with him when you could have provided for our family! When you could have gotten yourself a job and started a family of your own!" Eric hissed in my direction, though he did not look at me. His face was turned my direction, but his eyes seemed to be looking through me. As if I was nothing more than particles of dust floating in the air.

"Eric… You know that's not true! I didn't leave on my own, and I _tried_! I _tried_ so hard to provide for our family! I did everything in power and I was _taken_ from home by _force_! I did not want this!" I retaliated, tears stinging my eyes as I stared hard at him. His eyes flickered, briefly meeting mine before wandering again.

"You did want this… You were brought before Pharaoh and he told you to bed with him… I'm sure you spread your legs like a good slave, didn't you?! I bet you spread your legs to anyone who asked!" Eric snarled, a cold kind of fire raging in his blue eyes. My heart cracked in my chest and I took a step away from him, shaking. How could he accuse me of being someone so low and filthy…?

Didn't he understand that I'd never meant for any of this to happen? Didn't he understand that I tried? That I _really_ tried…? Didn't he understand that I wanted to provide for my family and make the best out of everything? To see them grow up before my eyes as I took care of a family of my own? Didn't he understand any of that?

"Eric…" I whispered but the younger boy shook his head, breathing heavily. His hands were clenched into angry, shaking fists and he kept shaking his head back and forth, seeming to be suffering an internal fight with himself. But was he fighting himself to hold these words back or was he fighting himself to keep from hitting me?

"No… You're _nothing_ but a _whore_ , Drake! _You_ left us! You left us to bed with the Pharaoh! To be his _quick_ and _easy_ fuck! _You_ let Anna _die_!" He shouted at me. Tears rolled down my cheeks at the mention of Anna's name… I couldn't speak. I could barely think as Eric's eyes sent burning daggers into my heart. Hell, I could barely breathe…

"N-no… I.. I never.." I stuttered. But I couldn't form any coherent sentences. I couldn't speak. No matter how much I didn't want to believe that Anna's death was my fault, I knew, deep down, that it was. I had confessed to the things that Brad had done and, in return, Anna's life had been taken… My own selfishness for freedom cost the life of my little sister. And I knew, in these moments of silent tears and angry breaths that Eric would never forgive me for that…

Eric's posture calmed and he straightened himself, standing tall above me, glaring down into my soul like he, himself, was to judge me instead of the Gods. Like he was to determine my fate for me. I quivered lightly, feeling two feet tall compared to him. His jaw was set into a hard, harsh line, his eyes dark. For a moment, I did not see my younger brother. I only saw my father…

"Father was right about you," he whispered, "You're nothing but a weak, worthless waste… You should never have been born…" Eric seethed, shoving past me, sending me crashing— lightly— into the wall before he rounded the corner, disappearing from my sight. I choked on a breath, tears flowing down my face as his words stung my heart. A soft, pained cry left my lips and I collapsed to my knees, shaking with tears.

Surprisingly, my sobs were quiet in their wrath as I wept on the floor of the hallway. No servants passed, no scholars came my way. I was alone in the hallway, a good hundred yards or so from Tommy's door. In my grief, I forgot of all of the pain I had faced with Alexander's arrival. In comparison, I would rather relive seeing Alexander and Adam in the library together a thousand times over than be victim to the venom of my brother's words…


	83. Chapter 83

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lean On Me When You're Not Strong  
Adam's POV**

"Adam, why won't you just let me leave?" Alex asked me. We were in the library, sitting towards the back with the door open so no one could accuse us of inappropriate behavior. "Drake will never be happy as long as I am here and we both know that Drake's happiness means the world to you." I had to admit, I felt bad for hurting Drake over and over again but I couldn't let Alex just walk out of my life again.

I sighed deeply, turning to face him again. "Alex, Drake will warm up to you. I know he will, right now he's just afraid of you. I suppose neither of us can really blame him," I said, frowning. I hated to know that Drake didn't trust me enough to be around Alex. Maybe it wasn't a matter of trust, maybe he was afraid that my feelings for Alex would resurface and my feelings for him would pale in comparison.

"What if he never does warm up to me? Are you going to sacrifice his happiness merely to spent a few afternoons in the library with me?" he asked. "Because it's not worth it."

"You are worth it, Alex. I love Drake, that's completely true, but I still miss you. I still want you to be part of my life and now that I know you aren't dead… How can you possibly expect me to let you walk out?" I asked, leaning on the stone wall next to him. "As long as we aren't eloping, Drake can't really say no."

"But you should think about how this makes him feel. He's young, Adam. From what I've seen, he's extremely smart and extremely talented but he is still young and he is still naïve. He doesn't understand any possible relationship between us other than what he's been told already. He's so in love with you that his fear of losing you is enough to hate me. Adam… Maybe you really need to put his needs before mine," he said, his voice soft but firm at the same time. Just like Drake, he could comply defy logic. "Your marriage with Drake is more important than your friendship with me."

"Alex…" I started, shaking my head. "Please let me take care of Drake. I know you are worried but he is my husband and I will take care of him," I told him. "And please do not expect me to lose you again, Alex, because I won't. I can't… Even if we are just friends, I can't just let you leave."

Alex sighed, his eyes wandering the massiveness of the room. They lingered on the peacock for a while. "How does Drake feel about that statue?" he asked me, looking back at me finally.

"He… Oh Ra, he loved it when he first came, but he didn't know what it represented," I said, looking over at the massive bird. "He told me it used to comfort him until…" I stopped, swallowing the lump in my throat. I didn't want to think of that time…

"Until he found out what it was?" Alex asked and I just shook my head.

"No… Until he was…" I sighed, soft tears stinging my eyes. "Brad raped him here," I told him, pointing towards the rug in front of the statue. "Drake was here, talking to you before he new who you were. He was terrified of Brad and he didn't know what to do because Brad threatened his family, his life. Well, when he was talking, Brad came in and he raped Drake right there, on that rug. Well, not that rug. The original rug was burned, but in that spot. That's when he truly started to not like the statue. He felt that the comfort he gained from it had failed him…"

Alex took a sharp, painful sounding breath. "Well, no wonder he hates me. I let Brad rape him…" he whispered, frowning a little.

"That's not why and you didn't let Brad rape him. How was a statue going to stop Brad? We may talk to that bird like it was real but, sadly, it isn't," I said, looking back at Alex.

"So, why else does he not like the statue? When he found out it represented me?" he asked. I knew I wasn't going to get out of telling him the day Drake did find out about him, even if I didn't want to discuss it.

"Brad… Brad told Drake about you before I got the courage to. I was terrified that if he knew of you, he would think he was nothing but a replica. For a few weeks, he was, but then I finally separated him from you and I realized how much I really loved him…" I whispered. "But he went to see Brad the day before his execution. I suppose he was looking for some sort of… closure, but he didn't get it. Brad told him about you and he told Brad how I would never truly love him, that I was simply morphing him into you. Drake… He believed it.

"He went into the library in a blind rage. He tore the room apart and when I found him, he was destroying the statue with some sort of pole or something," I told him, frowning. "It crumbled and then we argued for a while. He ran away from the palace that night, truly believing that I didn't love him or even care about him at all." Alex looked completely confused.

"If he tore it apart then…" he started, pointed towards the peacock.

"He rebuilt it. He took the rubble and he pieced the statue back together. He repainted it to be even more beautiful than it was originally," I said. "I was stunned when he managed to do it, but he said that he needed to, that it wasn't fair to keep me from you. That's when he thought you were dead though. Now he's just terrified of you. He's not usually so cruel, he's just afraid to open up to you. He'd afraid to let you in…"

Alex opened his mouth to reply but he closed it immediately as a soft, whimpering sound came from the hall. I recognized it immediately as Drake. His soft sobs flooded through the opened doors before I saw him rush by, his hands covering most of his face. Did he see Alex and I together? Is that what he was so upset about? Did he… overhear us? Oh Ra…

"Adam go," Alex said to me. "I'm not sure why he's upset, but he obviously needs you. Go on," he added nudging me towards the door. I glanced back at him, nodding softly.

"I'll see you at dinner," I said before rushing out of the library. I went down the way I saw Drake rushing to, hoping that I could actually find him. I turned the corner, heading towards the front of the palace. I don't know why I took this way, but I just had a feeling. I turned a few more corners, heading towards the thrown room. I peaked my head around the corner, seeing the room entirely empty except for Drake and his mother.

Drake was sitting on the golden steps, his face buried in his mother's bosom. I could see his small frame shaking and my heart was cracking because surely this was my fault… His mother ran her fingers through his thick, luscious hair. She pulled it out of the ponytail, allowing it to rain down around his shoulders. Ra, it had gotten so long. She rubbed his back with the other hand.

"Drake, baby, what's the matter?" she asked. They weren't really that far from me, so I could hear them easily. I felt bad for listening in on them, but… I needed to know what was wrong and, if it was my fault, I needed to make it better. "Honey, please talk to me."

Drake wrapped his arms around his mother's neck, looking more like a young child than I have ever seen him. He would always be his mother's baby boy, that much I could tell. "Eric…" Drake mumbled. That confused the living Hell out of me. What the fuck did Eric have to do with anything?

"What happened?" she whispered into his hair. I was sure he smelled just like vanilla. He always did. "Drake, tell me what happened. Obviously it's something you need to talk about." She pushed him up just enough that they could look each other in the eye. Tears stained Drake's cheeks and I bit my lip hard, just wanting to scoop him up in my arms and hold him tight.

"Eric ran into me in the hall, or I ran into him, whatever…" Drake mumbled, wiping tears from his face with the heel of his palm. "He was bowing to me and I told him not to… He… He said it was pr-proper to bow to royalty, but he said it l-like he was judging everything a-about me…"

Roza cupped Drake's face in her hands, stroking the tears away. "Did you two fight?" she whispered, pressing her forehead against Drake's. He nodded softly, biting his lip hard. "What did he say to you?"

"He…" Drake started, biting his lip again. "He told me that I- that I abandoned you all to be the pharaoh's fuck toy…" he whispered. "That I wanted to be taken away and that when I was told to bed with the pharaoh, I spread my legs for him like a g-good whore…" He whimpered, probably remembering every time Brad had called him that. "He said I probably spread my leg for an-anyone who asked and…"

Roza's eyes widened in discussed of her younger son. I was sure that if Eric were to walk in, she would have laid into him like a chainsaw tearing apart wood. "He told me that while I should have b-been taking care of you and everyone, I was r-really enjoying my role as a whore…" I can't believe his own brother said this to him. It was enough to make me want to punch the boy in his face.

"Did he said anything else to you, honey?" Roza whispered. She continued pushing his tears aside.

"He…" New tears splashed down his eyes. "He told me Anna's death was my fault! And then he told me that Daddy was right when he said I was weak and I was worthless!" he cried, his tears flowing harder than before. Roza couldn't keep up in stroking them away. "He told me that I never should have been born and then he shoved me into a wall, leaving me there, alone!"

For his brother to hold a grudge against him was one thing, but… to know that his father really said all those horrible things about him? I knew that his father didn't really see eye to eye, but I never knew that his father had such an intense, burning hatred for him. Knowing that was like a fresh knife would to the heart. How did he father not see greatness in him? Everyone else did, except for Eric, apparently.

Roza looked appalled and I didn't blame her in the slightest. Drake might have been her oldest son, but he would always be her baby. The scene before my eyes proved that completely. "Drake… Honey…" she whispered, pressing her lips to her son's forehead. She reminded me so much of my mother, it wasn't even funny.

"It's one thing to know that my own father hated me, but now my _little_ brother has the exact same opinion of me?!" Drake cried, his body shaking like a leaf in harsh wind. "I did _everything_ I could to provide for you all! I did _everything!_ It wasn't until I got here that I was able to do that!" Ra, my poor baby…

"Drake…" Roza whispered, stroking his cheeks delicately. "I have to confess to you something that I didn't want to tell you, but now it seems rather important," she continued. Drake's eyes went a little wide. They were shinning with tears and I just wanted to pull him into my arms, carrying him into our bedroom and make sweet, slow love to him for hours.

"What is it, Mama?" he whispered, sounding as if he were afraid to know.

"Your father didn't hate you because he thought you were weak, or a failure. He hated you for something that you couldn't control," she whispered. Drake looked confused and Roza sighed deeply. "Drake, your father… He isn't really your father," she said softly. She looked like she was fighting to look away from her son. Maybe she was ashamed, I did not know, but she kept her son's gaze.

Drake was silent for a long time, as if he couldn't really process what was happening. "W-what?" he whispered, biting his lip.

Roza took a deep breath. "Your real father is living on the other side of Egypt now. He was eighteen and I was seventeen. We were in love and the last night we spent together, you were conceived. He told me he was being wed to another woman by his parents and that we wouldn't be able to be together anymore. We couldn't stand the thought of never knowing what… intimacy felt like, so we gave into the desires we had been withholding for so long and… I got pregnant with you," she explained. "A few weeks later, my parents arranged me to wed your brother's father. At the time, I didn't know I was pregnant, but as the wedding date came closer and closer, it was too much for me to ignore. Everyone thought you were his, everyone but myself and him."

"He's… He's not my father…" Drake muttered, his eyes round with disbelief. "He hated me because I wasn't his…?"

"Yes, Drake… and that was completely unfair to you. He never said anything to anyone because he didn't want to be shamed. He didn't want to shame our family, but he expressed his inner turmoil by simply hating you. I firmly believe that all the horrible things he said to your face were the reasons you could never do anything to please him. He always set you up to fail and I hated him for that," she whispered. "I wished I could have raised a family with your real father. He would have loved and cared for you like no one else could have. I… I should have told you this but I… I was afraid to."

"Afraid of what?" Drake whispered, his eyes falling shut as more tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Afraid that you would think differently of me, that… maybe you would begin to hate me as well," she whispered. Drake only shook his head, tears flying from his face.

"I could never hate you, Mama," he whispered. "But… you should have told me the truth…'

Roza sighed, pulling Drake close to her again. His head fell against her shoulder, his tears staining her shirt. "I know, Drake and I'm truly sorry, but please know that your father, the one you grew up with, didn't hate you for anything you did wrong. He hated you because he was discussed with the fact that you were not his child but he still had to act as your father."

"But that wasn't my fault…" he whimpered. "I couldn't control that… I didn't… do anything wrong…"

"I know, baby. I know that. I will never forgive that man for how he treated you…" she whispered, holding her son as if he were still a small child. I didn't realize the tears that were rolling down my own cheeks until that point. Everyone seemed to be protective of my husband, even people who didn't know him, but to see him with his mother made me ache for my own mother. It also made me ache to hold Drake in my own arms and make everything better for him, but at this moment, I couldn't.

I had to pretend that I didn't know any of the horrible things I had just heard and that was going to kill me.


	84. Chapter 84

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: I Want to Hold You Close, Skin Pressed Against Me Tight**

 **Cassidy's POV**

With my folder in hand, I strolled down the hallway towards Hiei's room, a light skip in my step and a playful rhythm in the beat of my heart. A smile pulled at my lips the closer I got to his room, but I could not discern as to why. There was just something about that boy that made me feel whole… Loved and valued, almost… Complete. Something I had not felt since hearing of Brad's crimes against Drake…

I trembled lightly, fighting back the waves of pain that threatened to wrap themselves around my heart. After knowing of the things he'd done to that poor boy, I found it repulsive and disgusting that I'd let Brad touch me and make love to me so many nights. It was hard to imagine that I'd once thought I'd loved him when he went off behind my back, defying Our Pharaoh and taking what was not rightfully his— what would _never_ be his…

I sighed softly, reaching up and running fingers through my hair as I turned a corner, walking down a smaller hallway towards Hiei's room. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting warm shadows on the walls before I stepped forward, raising my hand to knock politely on the wood of the door. There was a shuffling and a soft "one moment" that I recognized, easily to be Hiei. He sounded tired. Did he just wake up?

The clicked and swung open, and Hiei stood before me wearing a pair of dark grey trousers and a loose fitting white shirt with grey trim. Plain but modest, and, yet, he made it look utterly beautiful. For a moment I forgot what it meant to breathe and I smiled warmly at him, stepping to the side and beckoning him to follow me. He smiled shyly at me, closing his bedroom door behind him before falling in step beside me.

"Your chores are minimal today, Hiei," I began, clutching my folder to my right side, longing to reach out with my left hand and take his right. But I kept it swinging at my side, fighting the urge to act out of line as advisor and perform more like a lover. It had been so long, but the boy was young… And I had been hurt too badly to trust so quickly… "No scrubbing or washing, but you will be helping me reorganize some files in the library."

Hiei nodded once, but he didn't say a word. I could only imagine that he was thankful he wouldn't be on his hands and knees again like he had been for the past week or so. His hands were dried out from the soaps, and I knew that he needed a break from them. Not to mention, the manual labor of scrubbing floors and walls must have been putting a pressure on his back…

I noticed, from the corner of my eye, Hiei adopt a sort of befuddled look, as if something was on his mind. I frowned a little, turning my head to acknowledge him as we walked, "Something troubling you, Hiei?" I asked, and the boy inhaled slowly.

"I am just… confused. I understand it's not my place to question his order, but I am curious to know why Pharaoh lets Alexander stay if it upsets His husband so much?" Hiei inquired and I sighed softly.

When I'd first heard that Alexander was back, I didn't believe it in the least. Alexander had been dead for ten years, and there couldn't have been any possible explanation to give to his presence. But it wasn't until supper the other night, when he was sitting across the table from me and Hiei that I knew I had to believe it. Drake was sitting at the head of the table with Adam and there was no one else in all of Egypt so similar in face and heart to the boy.

"I imagine you don't know of Alexander's connection with Our Pharaoh, do you?" I suggested to the boy, and he shook his head slowly. I inhaled deeply as we rounded a corner, heading towards the library.

"Alexander, when he was first brought here, was Pharaoh's first pleasure slave. They were both eighteen; he'd been gifted to Pharaoh as a present from his father. Needless to say, their intimacy brewed a love that is not uncommon to any that shares such passion. Our Pharaoh's father was not, exactly, pleased with the idea of their love, but as he was no longer the Ruler of Egypt, he did not have say in the matter.

"When they were twenty-five, a wave of fevers— much like what we're suffering now— came through the land, taking the lives of Our Pharaoh's mother as well as threatening that of Alexander. It was believed that he died in Pharaoh's arms, but, as you've seen, that was not the case in the slightest," I explained to him, reaching the library doors and pulling them open, ushering Hiei first.

He still looked puzzled, though, "If Alexander was known to be dead, where has he been, then?" Hiei asked, turning to face me as I let the doors shut. Unlike Adam, I did not lock them. There was nothing to hide other than the business of chores and light conversation.

"That… I do not know. I imagine that, when Pharaoh decides to inform me, I will understand. And, if you desire it, you'll be the first to know from me," I told him. It wasn't, exactly, my place to inform a slave of the Pharaoh's personal life, but there was something so easy about talking to Hiei. Plus, he seemed to have a brotherly-sort of fondness for Drake. I imagined that, if they were given the opportune time, they would become stead-fast friends.

"I would like that, thank you," Hiei said, a soft blush painting his tanned cheeks. I smiled warmly at him again, and he blushed further. I chuckled, walking with him towards more of the back of the library, taking him up a small flight of stairs to a second landing that was lofty, looking down over the rest of the library with the statue of the peacock in the center. Hiei inhaled slowly, crossing over to the banister of the second level, staring with wide eyes out at the expanse of bookshelves and colors, statues and artifacts..

"It's beautiful…" He whispered quietly, and I smiled, setting my folder down on a bench next to a bookshelf before stepping up beside him, leaning against the banister of stone. Hiei glanced over at me, his eyes meeting mine. My heart skipped a beat and I forced the urge to lean down and kiss him back. I could not, much as I wanted to. While yesterday was… More than I could ever imagine, I did not wish to push boundaries with him..

Hiei's eyes scanned my face for a moment longer before he looked away again, his shoulders slouching slightly. I frowned softly, wondering if he wanted me to kiss him or not.. I swallowed the lump in my throat, pushing off from my resting place before turning away from him. "Come. Multiple hands make light work." I told him, bending down to grab a stack of books and folders filled with papers before turning on my heel, handing the stack to Hiei. He looked a little shocked.

"You're helping me?" He inquired and I laughed warmly, a grin stretching across my face before I nodded once.

"Would you rather me stare at you as you work again?" I suggested, raising an eyebrow. His cheeks flamed beneath his tan and he looked like he was at a loss of words. I shook my head, smiling still, "take those down to the shelves by the statue. We'll sort them once we get everything down there," I explained, and Hiei nodded once, turning away and walking down the stairs.

As always, I stared at him until he vanished, temporarily, from my sight. I sighed softly, licking my lips before lifting a stack into my arms, carrying it delicately down the stairs, brushing passed Hiei as I set them down next to the stack he left on the floor. I glanced over my shoulder, gazing up at the majestic statue as it glistened in the late morning sunlight.

It took no more than half an hour for Hiei and I to bring down twenty stacks of books, papers, and folders, all waiting to be organized into the shelves of the western half of the library. We'd left them sitting side by side by side, some holding more dust than others. I inhaled deeply, gathering my own personal folder from the bench on the second level loft before descending the steps again to join Hiei beside the statue.

"Very good. Now… We begin the tedious process of organizing as much of it as we can before lunch and dinner." I told him. Hiei groaned softly, bending a little at the waist to rest his palms on his knees. My eye trailed along the curve of his back and the way his hair hung around his face, my mind painting a vivid image of his back arched against my chest, his hair clinging to his ecstasy-written face with sweat as I—

"May we take a break, Cassidy?" He asked, and I nodded once, forcing back the images in my mind as I lead him towards a small sitting area, not far from the statue. I set my folder down on a small side table between our chairs as I collapsed into one, Hiei into the other. He was breathing a little heavily from carrying heavy stacks up and down the stairs, but I imagined that it was because of passion and heat…

I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling a twitch of excitement rushing along a growing erection that would be a little more than obvious in a short matter of time. I sighed quietly, cursing myself and my body for lusting for this boy so fiercely. I wanted to say that I couldn't be blamed— I had not been intimate in several years because of the betrayal I'd felt with Brad. It was not wrong of me to feel desire, but to feel desire for a delinquent?

 _I'm not a delinquent_ … It was like Hiei was whispering in my ear again and I inhaled slowly, swallowing another lump in my throat as I let my head rest in my hand. My eyes slipped shut and yesterday's events painted themselves in my mind; holding Hiei close, tasting his lips, feeling him dig his teeth into my skin… I shivered, nonchalantly rubbing at my neck before shivering, moaning quietly as my fingers trailed against the hickey in my skin.

I could feel the weight of Hiei's eyes on my after I moaned, and my face flushed lightly. How embarrassing… I turned my head slowly, looking over at him. His eyes were half-open, dazed with what I could only imagine to be something like lust as he slid from his chair. My heart skipped several beats in my chest as he reached forward, palming my face delicately in his hands, pulling me close and kissing me hard.

I moaned, snaking my arms around his waist, pulling him onto my lap. His chest pressed up against mine as he deepened our kiss, his tongue sliding between my teeth. I groaned softly, my hips grinding into his thighs and ass. I was sure my erection was nudging right up against him, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He moaned into my mouth, tangling his fingers into my hair, pulling hard.

Growling, my hands slid up the underside of his shirt, nails clawing into his skin. Hiei pulled away from our kiss, gasping loudly as I dug into his flesh, no doubt creating thin, red lines in his sides and back. He tilted his head back a little as I leaned up, nipping into his throat, like he'd done to me yesterday, my lips dragging wet kisses along his jaw line.

"Cassidy…" Hiei moaned, trembling above me as I lifted my hips again, wanting to strip him and taste and touch and memorize every inch of his body. I wanted to kiss and lick him, bite his most sensitive spots, learn what makes him tremble with pleasure and what makes him scream with ecstasy.

I looped my arms around Hiei's lower back and thighs, shifting forward as he tightened his legs around me. I slid from the chair, gently easing him down to the rug on the floor, hovering above him and between his thighs. His hands clenched my shoulders, pulling me down into a wet and dirty kiss; one that made my eyes roll back into my head and my hands lift his shirt away from his stomach, tugging it over his head.

Hiei gasped softly, "Cassidy…" He whispered, his eyes betraying his emotions. He wanted me… But he didn't want this… He didn't want to go all the way… The fear and uncertainty blazed in his eyes and I swallowed the lump in my throat, kissing him gently as I tossed his shirt aside.

"I won't… Just trust me. I won't hurt you," I told him, my breath ghosting over his lips. Hiei moaned quietly, looking a little unsure for a moment. But, soon, he nodded once, kissing me again. I swear, I could hear his heart thrashing in his chest as I kissed and bit at his neck, unbuttoning my own shirt before shrugging out of it.

Hiei's hands slid up my sides, the pads of his thumbs swiping over my nipples and I shivered, moaning quietly, my hands toying with the waistband of his trousers. My fingers swept over the smooth skin of his and he lifted them, letting me tug gently on his pants, just enough to free the erection that he was sporting.

He blushed furiously, his cheeks a rosy-brown as his eyes slipped shut. I kissed his neck again, reaching down to curl my palm around his being. Hiei's eyes snapped back open and he moaned, arching slightly as I stroked him from base to tip, only once. He shuddered, moaning loudly, his hands clawing at the rug beneath him.

I wanted to take him, but I wasn't sure, myself, if _I_ was ready for that. I knew that Hiei wasn't— I saw it in his eyes. He wasn't ready for that; he was so young. I wasn't ready because of Brad… Though, his actions and what he'd done in this very room didn't faze the desire that I held for Hiei. But, I knew, if and when I had him… It would mean something special. And it wouldn't be here, in public.

"Cassidy!" Hiei cried out when I swiped my thumb over his slit. He was shivering uncontrollably beneath me, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth slack in a moan. I groaned softly, my own erection throbbing and aching beneath the fabric of my own pants. "Cassidy, please…"

I kissed Hiei deeply, stroking him slow and hard, massaging him on occasion and teasing his slit. I reached down with my free hand, my fingertips teasing his entrance, barely prodding him at first. He tensed, moaning and thrusting into my hand, his back arched off of the rug. Sweat was gathering along his hairline, a few strands sticking to his face. A most beautiful sight…

I reached up with my free hand again, trailing my fingertips in the precome that was dripping from the head of his erection, slicking my fingers up nicely before kissing his chest, pumping my hand hard on him as I slid a digit into him, slow and steady. Hiei tensed around it, moaning a little louder with every breath as I fucked him sweetly with it. He was panting my name and it wasn't until my finger hit that sweetest spot inside of him that he cried out, coming hard onto my chest and his stomach.

Panting heavily, Hiei relaxed, his eyes closed as I pulled away from him, dragging my hand across my chest. My mouth watered softly, but I had no interest in making him feel uncomfortable. Instead of licking my palm clean, like I normally would have, I wiped it clean on the thigh of my pants, which were doing nothing to hide my arousal.

Hiei's eyes fluttered open as I bent my head, kissing him sweetly. He moaned softly, reaching up to palm my face tenderly. My hands curled around the waistband of his pants, pulling them up to conceal his spent member, and he pushed up against my shoulders, forcing me onto my knees.

"Hiei…" I moaned quietly, feeling my back hit the edge of the chair as his hands tugged on my pants, freeing my erection. I looked at him, seeing his eyes widen slightly, his face redden and I blushed lightly. Hiei glanced up at me, licking his red and slightly-swollen lips before reaching forward, tentatively wrapping his hand around my dick. I arched, instinctively thrusting into his hand.

Hiei moaned softly, tightening his grip as he nestled himself close to me, sitting on his knees but not quite straddling mine. I lifted my hand, palming it over his as he slowly stroked me. I moaned softly as he kissed me, opening his mouth to let my tongue intrude and taste the caverns of his cheeks and the muscle of his own tongue. I shivered, thrusting up into our hands as I gently guided his actions, tightening my hand when I wanted him to tighten around me, shifting his wrist when he needed to change the angle. I was in control, but he was the one pleasuring me.

It didn't take long to bring me to my own end. Between the difference of my hand compared to Hiei's, the taste of his kiss and the feather-light touches and nips to my neck, I came hard against our stomachs, moaning loudly into his mouth as he kissed me again.


	85. Chapter 85

**Chapter Thirty: It's Only the Blind Prophet Who Truly Sees  
Alexander's POV**

I had to be honest, being around Adam all the time and not being able to wrap my arms around him was painful. I longed to kiss him and hold him and let him hold and kiss me. I missed him uncontrollably, but he wasn't mine anymore. He belonged to Drake and I respected that. No, respected wasn't the right word. I was ecstatic for Adam and Drake because they were happy. I'd never seen Adam smile so brightly, even when he and I were together.

Adam was happy and he was married to the perfect boy. He may have been a little immature in some respects, but that was because he was young. For the most part, Drake was brilliant, he possessed talents and skills that most could only dream of and he was oh so very beautiful… He fit into Adam's life better than I ever did and I didn't hold any form of grudge against Drake for taking my place.

If anything, I was wildly protective of Drake. I desired his friendship and his approval, but I doubted I would ever get it. As long as he saw me as a threat, I would never move to his good side. Drake was enchanting and I wanted to know everything about him. I wanted to be his comfort when Adam was unable and I wanted to be able to tell him of the troubles we share.

We were more alike that Drake realized. Yes, we looked very similar and we had fallen in love with the same man, but we were far from the same person. Drake was graceful, artistic and expressive in almost everything that he did. I was not quite so graceful and I favored facts and politics. I'm sure Drake was decent enough with facts and knowledge, but he fancied the world of imagination and creation, not understanding and managing our own world. Our personalities were different, yet we were both shy and, for what I had seen, we both had a tendency to be stubborn.

We were both raped and abused by Bradley.

I hoped that if I could talk to Drake long enough to make him see that I understood what he suffered, that I was just like him in that respect. I needed to tell him that I had absolutely no intentions on coming between him and his husband. If I could just pack up and leave, I would have. Adam's orders kept me here, but Adam didn't want to leave Drake for me, he merely wanted my friendship. When he found out that I was still alive, he couldn't bare the thought of simply letting me walk out of his life again.

Our relationship would never be the same. It would never grow back to the level it had been on because Adam was in love with Drake. He might have loved me, but he was no longer _in_ love with me. He would always love Drake, he would always long to have Drake and he would always lust over Drake because Drake was everything he wanted in a lover. Drake was perfect for him. They were perfect for each other. Who was I to even dream of coming between them?

I needed to talk to Drake. Adam kept saying he would take care of Drake, get him to come around, but Drake was still hostile towards me. He wasn't easing up at all and I was almost positive that Adam either hadn't talked to Drake at all or he wasn't getting through to him. Maybe if I got him alone for a while, I could somehow manage to get through to him instead. It was doubtful but I still had to try.

It was midday. Yesterday Adam and I had seen Drake run past the library in tears. I'd asked Adam about it but all he said was 'it wasn't anything to do with us. I haven't even gotten to talk to him about it yet. Don't worry about it'. Well, I was worried about that and a lot more. I hated to think that Drake was upset and in pain because of my presence. I had to try to make this right, seeing as I couldn't really leave.

Dinner would be in a few hours. I hoped to find Drake before then so I could talk with him, but I'd been spending the entire day searching the palace and I still hadn't seen his deep, luscious brown hair. Since he wasn't anywhere to be found in the palace (and I've even checked his and Adam's bedroom), I decided to try the gardens. Adam and I had spent a good amount of time talking about Drake. He told me everything he loved about the boy and everything he struggled to understand but accepted just because it was part of who Drake was. He told me about his habits and he told me that when he needed inspiration or some space to think, he would venture out into the gardens.

Even before Drake and I had run into each other that day in the gardens, I knew he spent a great deal of time out there. I'd seen him a lot, mostly by the large fountain in the center or by Anna's memorial. If he was trying to hid from people, he was bound to be with Anna. It was a more private region of the garden, cut off from the rest to only really open up to his studio's wall of windows. Adam had built it as a place for Drake, so he had privacy.

"I'm so sorry, Anna," I heard so soft voice whisper. I peaked between two hedges, seeing Drake's form leaning over the small fountain, only it wasn't Drake. At least, at first glance, I didn't think it was Drake. His hair had been cut in a severe slope. The back was extremely short and it sloped down to shoulder length in the front. It also wasn't chocolate brown anymore. His hair flamed in a nice, deep crimson color.

For a moment, I thought I mistook his voice for someone else and I turned to leave, but then he spoke again. "I never meant to do this to you, Baby Girl…" he whispered. I turned back to see him pull himself up onto the edge of the fountain. He reached out, putting his hand on the side of Anna's face, as if caressing her cheeks. "I wish you were here because it seems like everything else it just going wrong…"

Tears slowly streamed down Drake's perfect face, leaving behind ruined makeup. He was dressed a little more like something Adam would probably fantasize about. His shorts were a little too short and they were pure white. His top left his belly button exposed. The top was white with a few details of gold and a gold over shirt hung from his shoulders, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

"Drake?" I whispered, stepping into the little cove. His blue eyes widened and his head snapped up to look at me. A mixture of emotions swam in his ocean eyes and he quickly wiped his tears and ruined makeup away from his cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing the makeup that smeared on his palms into the grass next to the fountain. I sighed deeply, walking towards him. I wanted to sit with him, but I didn't want to intrude on Drake's personal space. This was a place for him to mourn and be with his little sister, who, Adam said, was more like his daughter. The last thing I wanted to do was anger Drake by intruding on such an important place for him.

"I was hoping that we could talk without any interference from others. No Adam, no Cassidy, no one but you and me," I said, looking down at him. I came to a halt a few feet in front of him.

"I do not wish to speak with you," Drake said, pulling his knees up against his chest. His arms wound around them and he rested his chin on top of his knees, letting his flaming hair fan out around his face. "Now please just go away…" he whimpered, another tear rolling down his right cheek, like a beautiful work of art. Perhaps he should paint himself some day. He would be the most perfect model and muse.

I knelt in front of him, bowing in respect for a moment before sitting back up, resting on my knees. "Drake please," I pleaded. "I know you don't really like me much and I honestly cannot blame you for that in the slightest, but I really hate for us to be like this. I do not want you to hate me, I only want to do what is best for you and your happiness…"

"Then best thing for me would be for you to not be here, Alexander. I don't care what Adam says, he's going to resurface his feelings for you and you are going to drive us apart…" he said. His words were hurtful, harsh even, but his tone was more sorrowful and self pitying. He didn't really hate me but he did hate me being here all the time. He was truly terrified of me.

"No… Drake," I whispered, trying to make him see the truth. "That's not true. Adam _is in love with you_. His past relationship with me will never change the fact that he has married a most wonderful young man. He loves you more than anything. He's never going to give that up for a past relationship."

Drake looked up at me, his eyes set a blaze in a mixture of pain and loathing. The last time someone looked at me like that was… Well, I can't even remember. Even Brad didn't look at me like that. "If he doesn't still love you, why is he so desperate for you to be here?" he asked, the hatred fading from his eyes, leaving nothing but pain and misery there.

"He loves me, yes, but he isn't in love with me anymore. He'll never be in love with anyone but you, Drake. Can't you see that? Adam would die without you!" I exclaimed but Drake didn't want to hear it. He stood up, his arms still wrapped tightly around himself. It was only then that I could really see how different his hair was. It looked like he could probably still tie it into a lopsided ponytail, but it was so much different than what it used to be.

"Like he died without you?" Drake asked, frowning fiercely. "Sorry if I fail to see your logic."

"Drake please," I said, grabbing his wrist in my hands. "Please? Just listen to me, alright? Drake, Adam is so in love with you, it's almost disgusting. He doesn't want to let me walk out of his life again because we used to be so close, but he will never leave you for me. He'll never walk out on your marriage because you are the most important thing in his life! He loves you more than he ever loved me! I see it every time he looks at you!" I exclaimed. "His eyes blaze with desire and passion every single time he sees you. He smiles more brightly now than he ever did when we were lovers! He _needs_ you, Drake! Please understand that I'm not trying to come between you and Adam! I never will! I would never even dream of it!"

Tears spilled over the rims of Drake's eyes. "I'm sorry if I'm just not convinced of that. He spends more time with you than he does with me!" he cried. "He hasn't held a full length conversation with me in days. I'm sure all he ever thinks of is you! Please, please, don't preach to me about how much he loves me. I don't want to here it!" He was crying and shaking with sobs. I was sure whatever happened yesterday was only increasing his unstable emotions. I realized I wasn't really helping.

"Drake… Honey, please… I just want things to be right between us. I hate the fact that you hate me, I just want to get along. I want you to know that I'm not your enemy… I hope that someday you'll open up to me…" I whispered, reaching forward to cup Drake's cheeks in my hands.

I brushed his tears away with my thumbs, uncaring of the makeup that smeared across my fingers. For a moment, Drake leaned into my touch, but then his eyes opened wide and he pulled away from me, shaking his head softly. "I'm sorry," he mumbled and turned on his heels to rush back into his studio. I sighed deeply, staring after him.

Well, that could have gone a zillion times better.

Maybe the fact that he didn't pull away right away was a good thing? Maybe he wanted to reach out to me, he was just too uncomfortable and terrified to do it? But then again… he completely changed his hair, probably so he didn't look like me anymore… Fucking Ra.


	86. Chapter 86

**Chapter Thirty-One: You Hold Me In Your Hands, You Won't Let Me Fall…**

 **Adam's POV**

' _Oh, Ra, what am I going to do?'_ I thought to myself, standing on the back balcony of mine and Drake's bedroom. Things had been.. well.. Less than perfect, to say the least, since our wedding, and, while I wasn't one for blaspheming or anything like that, I was curious to know if this was all some sort of punishment from the Gods for claiming someone so beautiful and perfect.

Weren't the times after you get married supposed to be some of the best? Aren't you supposed to be in the honeymoon stage where everything is perfect and blissful and you wouldn't have it any other way? Or was that for those who were more like commoners? People who didn't have a status or a legacy to keep. I wasn't sure. But I knew that, with everything going on, I was getting really sick of my situation.

Between Tommy falling ill with his fever and Alex coming back from Death, I wasn't sure what was up, down, left or right anymore. Drake and I were falling apart at the seams with one another because of Alex, but Alex was one of my closest, longest friends. Sweet Ra, we used to be _lovers_! But that's the key word, right there; "used" to. Not now. Not anymore.

Though, I understood Drake's fear in my feelings for Alex resurfacing to what they used to be, and that I would leave him to reclaim that old love. I did. I wouldn't want any previous lover of his to be present and compromise what we had. But couldn't he just trust our love? Couldn't he trust the devotion I had for him? Couldn't he believe me when I told him, so many times, that I loved him and _only_ him?

Sighing, I ran fingers through my hair, dragging it out of my face before I pushed off from the edge of the balcony. I had no interest in standing out here in the silence of my thoughts, watching my people wander through the gardens below. But, then again, I had no interest in dealing with a lot of things; like the stress that I had been under. But I couldn't escape it; it was constantly pressing itself to the front of my mind, making me want to tear my hair out.

' _Ra, give me the strength to make it through this maddening tension. Help Drake to see that I love him and will never leave him… Please…_ ' I prayed silently, crossing towards the door when I stopped, looking up at the mural that was painted on the outside wall of the palace.

It was a perfect recreation of myself leaning against the balcony, looking out towards the western part of Egypt with the sun and the distance setting everything a glow. Drake had painted this for me three years ago, before the whole instance with Brad. A shudder made its way down my spine when I thought of that traitor. I'm glad he's dead. And I normally don't wish such on people.

Venturing back into the bedroom, my thoughts went back to Drake. I hadn't seen him at all today. He woke up sometime before I did and hadn't come back to the room since then. I wasn't sure if he was visiting Tommy, working in his studio or wandering through the gardens. He could've been at the market, buying more supplies or something.

At any rate, I tried not to let his absence bother me, but it seemed rather inevitable. Drake and I rarely talked since Alex's arrival, and I knew that it upset him. It upset me, too; I had nothing to blame Alex for, but since he came back into my life, there had been a heavy weight the bond of mine and Drake's relationship, making it bend and ache.

I wanted to make things right between us. I wanted amends to be made between Drake and Alex so we could all have a normal life, again. I wanted Tommy to be healthy and happy so Drake could smile again. I wanted to apologize to Drake and make sweet, slow, passionate love to him to make up for all of the love lost between us. I wanted to do everything in my power to make my husband happy, but I wasn't sure how much power I truly had to make that happen…

I stepped over to the vanity table, taking a moment to look around at the vastness of the bedroom. In the three years that Drake and I had been lovers, the room's arrangement, color scheme and theme had changed at least ten times. At the moment, the bed was still in its usual spot in the center of the room, in the lowered platform. Blankets and pillows of cool blues and greens with silver accents decorated the massiveness, making it soft and sexy.

There were plants in a few corners, bringing life and freshness to the room. Murals that Drake painted decorated the walls, giving them a kind of secondary life to them. Sculptures that were made from fired clay or marble. Every inch of this place had Drake's artistic touch and influence to it. And seeing all of his handiwork made my heart ache more and more.

Had I, truly, been neglecting him? For Alex? For an old, past love of mine?

No… I didn't want to think of it as such. Alex wasn't my lover any longer, that I knew and understood better than anyone. Drake was, no. Drake was my lover, my husband, my friend, my life, my heart and my soul. He was my everything and, without him, I would cease to be. I couldn't remember how many times I've thanked the Gods for letting me and Tommy find him after he ran away three years ago. Endless nights, I spent, crying silently as I held him in my arms, knowing I'd been so close to losing him for forever. Knowing I could never make those mistakes again if I wanted to keep him.

But wasn't I making them by spending all of my time with Alex?

Sighing heavily, again, I wandered over to my wardrobe, grabbing the handles and pulling the doors open to retrieve fresh clothes. I reached in, taking a pair of white trousers with red and gold trim in my hands, letting them hang over my forearm as I reached for a matching vest. I crossed back towards the vanity, setting my clothes down on the back of the chair. Dinner was going start soon and I'd made up my mind about what I was going to do after. I would enjoy dinner with my husband and my friends before pulling Drake into this room and loving him like I should have been. Like he deserved.

I stripped, quickly, of the trousers that I'd worn to bed last night before slipping into the fresh ones, relishing in their soft and tight feel. I tossed the worn trousers aside, making a mental note to take care of my laundry tomorrow as I sat down in the vanity chair, taking a glance at my reflection.

There were dark circles along the undersides of my eyes, no doubt from the stress I'd been dealing with and the fact that I hadn't really gotten any good sleep in the past few days. Fortunately it wasn't anything that a touch of makeup couldn't fix, but I didn't like the idea of being so tired that I needed to use it in the first place. But I couldn't take back the way my body was appearing. I just needed to try harder and get more rest.

I reached for a small container, unscrewing the lid before dabbing my fingers into the soft, plush powder, smearing it along the circles and shadows. Using the pads of my fingertips, I rubbed the powder in, evening it out as the circles started to vanish. I had to repeat the process once more before they were gone entirely.

I smiled softly, grabbing the eye liner before applying it in thick, elegant swipes, coming off of the corners of my eyes just a little bit. Using a finger tip, I smeared them just enough to give them a more worn and roughed up kind of a look. I wasn't really into the ancient Egyptian ways of leaving them solid and heavy. I liked making them different.

Just over the eye liner, I smeared a charcoal-colored eye shadow over my lids, enjoying how the rustic shade of it made my eyes look a little less blue and a little more grey. Smiling softly, I set the makeup aside, grabbing my vest and sliding it over my shoulders, letting it hand open and loose. I bent down, grabbing my sandals before slipping my feet into them and strapping them on around my ankles and legs.

I stood from the chair, walking across the room towards the doors. Inhaling slowly, I reached forward, taking the handles into my palms before pushing them open, stepping out into the hallway. Servants were hurrying back and forth to finish their duties before dinner, giving me a bow of their head before rushing off. I smiled to them as they passed, trying to decide the best place to start looking for Drake. But, as I turned to my right, I realized I didn't have to search at all, for he turned the corner, heading my direction.

The first thing that I noticed was that Drake was not covered in paint, which meant he could not have been in his studio working. It did not matter if he was painting a small picture or a massive mural, he always managed to get some sort of paint on his skin or on his clothes. But because there was none of that, I knew he had not been there.

The second thing that I noticed was the outfit in which Drake was dressed. He was not wearing the normal trousers and shirt or anything modest that he was more likely to wear. He was in an outfit that made me want to press him against the wall of the hallway and fuck him until he screamed.

Pure white shorts that clung to his beautifully toned thighs, no doubt curving just right to his ass. They stopped at his hips, letting his "lover" tattoos stand out gorgeously against his skin. His top was cropped short, exposing his belly button, coming up and over his shoulders like a tank; it had gold accents on the hems. To top it all off was a golden shirt with the sleeves rolled up around his elbows, the front left open to show off the white.

The third and final thing was what made me stare. Drake's normal, rich and chocolaty brown hair was cropped into a sort of A-line cut; short in the back, sloping longer in the front. His bangs still ended at his shoulders, and I had no doubt that he'd still be able to pull it into his usual lopsided ponytail. But that wasn't the point. It was the fact that it was cut and styled in a way that I'd never seen before…

And it was a deep crimson color.

"Drake?" I muttered, catching his attention. His head lifted, his eyes meeting mine. Eye liner rimmed around his almond-shaped blue eyes with delicate traces of silvery makeup. But it looked a little ruined, and I wondered if he'd been crying at some point today.

"Adam," Drake replied, coming up beside me. I hadn't blinked once, and my eyes kept wandering from his body to his hair and back, indecisive of where they should stay. I reached up slowly with my hand, touching, first, his face before sliding them up into his hair, stroking the locks. They were soft as ever, burning like fire in the sunlight. Drake looked away from me as I ran my fingers through his hair.

It was a shock, to say the least. I had never expected Drake to do something so drastic with his hair, but… I liked it. I loved his rich brown hair before, but this was definitely a nice change. Though, I had to wonder if he did it because Alex's hair was exactly like his; overgrown and rich in its chocolate color.

I smiled softly at Drake, curling my fingers under his chin, tilting his head up so I could press my lips to his. Drake moaned against my mouth, his hands coming up to latch themselves to my shoulders as I deepened our kiss, cupping his face in both of my palms, my tongue sliding into his mouth. He whined softly, battling my tongue with his, pushing his way into my mouth for a moment before we pulled away, slightly breathless.

"I love you," I whispered, my heart skipping beats. No matter our circumstance, telling him that I loved him always made me feel weak with passion.

"I love you, too," he whispered, smiling and blushing. I chuckled, kissing him gently before stroking his hair again.

"I like this color. It suits you nicely," I told him and he blushed further, leaning into my touch as I caressed his cheek. I wanted so badly to take him back to our room and love him so sweetly, but I knew that we needed to go to dinner first. Well… We didn't _need_ to, but it was probably for the best.

"Shall we, love?" I inquired, holding my arm out for him. Drake laughed gently, looping his arm with mine, leaning into me with a smile on his face.

"We shall," he replied.

The walk to the dining hall didn't take very long. Drake and I didn't say much, but having one another was more than comfortable, to say the least. The sun was dipping behind the horizon, casting warm shadows down the hallways and setting the dining room ablaze. Our fellow diners were small in their numbers; Alex, Cassidy, Hiei— at Cassidy's request—, Roza, Amalia, Eric, Jonah and Hayden.

Drake smiled at his family, at Cassidy and even Hiei, but did not seem to acknowledge Alex in the slightest. I mentally frowned when I noticed Alex look away from us, appearing sullen in expression, but trying his damndest to hide it. I sighed softly, pressing a kiss to Drake's hair line before taking my seat at the head of the table with Drake to my right. Alex was to my left on his side of the table, next to Drake's mother, sister and younger brother. Across from Alex was Cassidy and Hiei with Eric and Jonah.

"Took you two long enough," Cassidy teased and I blushed lightly, waving him off as Drake chuckled beside me. I took his hand in mine, letting them rest on the table as the first of our three courses came out to us.

There was idle chatter between most everyone. Alex kept mostly to himself unless he was asked something from Drake's family or Cassidy. Drake spoke to me, his family— with the exception of Eric— Cassidy and even Hiei. I was more focused on the things that I was going to whisper, lovingly, in Drake's ear as I fucked him so slow and gently. It was almost a wonder that the beginnings of my arousal weren't obvious on my face as I squeezed Drake's hand lightly.

The second course came out not too long after we'd finished our first. I glanced over at Hiei, seeing an expression on his face that read that he was getting full with food. I smiled softly, reminiscing of the time when Drake had first been brought here, how he couldn't finish all of his food, either. But Hiei was a slightly larger in build that Drake, so I had only assumed that he'd be able to handle the amount of food. But I had been wrong.

Less than half-way through my second course, though, I began to feel strange. I couldn't explain what it was, but I felt nauseas. Like something wasn't agreeing with my stomach or something. But I kept eating, figuring that something from the first course just wasn't appealing to my system.

But it seemed that, with every bite that I took the nausea got worse. My vision kept blurring in and out of focus and my breathing was getting heavy. I set my fork down, licking my lips and reaching for my glass of wine, wondering if I was going to be sick or not. I took a drink, swallowing it before grimacing. It tasted old all of a sudden…

"Adam?" I heard Drake say my name, but it was as if it was from a tunnel. Like someone had cupped their hands over my ears and he was trying to call to me from the end of a tunnel. I turned, my moves sluggish and unbalanced as I looked at him. My vision blurred again, but I could feel him touching me. It was like his hands were electrifying, and I shivered, groaning in pain until his hand slipped from my arm.

"Adam?" Drake said, a little more urgently. I looked away from him, my head beginning to pound and my hands beginning to shake. I felt cold. I felt sick. I needed to get up and lay down. I even tried pushing my chair back to stand, but my legs failed me and I tumbled to the floor, narrowly missing the table. People called out to me, but I couldn't differentiate voices. Hands touched me and I screamed before choking on a breath.

Someone turned me over just in time for me to vomit onto the dining hall floor, but it smelled strange to me. It wasn't like the regular scent of vomit— and, believe me, I knew what that smelled like. It smelled metallic almost, like there was something other than the food I'd just eaten… Someone touched me again and I groaned, coughing and sputtering up something that looked deep in color, reddish. It tasted salty on my lips as I coughed again, feeling it pool in the back of my throat. Blood.

" _Adam!_ " Of all the jumbled voices, I recognized Drake's. I recognized the fear and the concern and the pain and agony in his voice. I recognized the scream of his, his hands on my face— the only hands that didn't hurt. My eyes fluttered and I stared up at him through a blurred vision that kept slipping in and out of focus.

Drake… My heart was pounding in my chest as I coughed again, my body trembling in Drake's arms as his hands caressed my face and pushed my hair out of the way. Blood and spit trickled down the side of my face and I wheezed, trying to catch my breath. Breathing was becoming hard and all I could think in my head was _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I love you…_

"I… love you.."


	87. Chapter 87

**Chapter Thirty-Two: And I'll No Longer Be Paranoid, No More Reason to Be Annoyed  
Drake's POV**

The time between Adam falling out of his chair at dinner to the doctor showing up was, perhaps, the most terrifying hour of my life. We had somehow managed to get Adam off the floor and into the nearest bedroom so he had a place to lay down. He kept coughing up blood and mumbling "I love you" before he finally just passed out all together.

When he first stopped responding to me, I thought he had died, or he was dying, but I could still see the rise and fall of his chest. The doctor had ordered everyone out of the room once he arrived, but I didn't want to leave Adam. I held tightly to his hand, but Cassidy and Hiei pulled me out of the room, trying to comfort me.

It was pointless though. I was shaking like a junkie without a fix and tears were streaming down my cheeks. Hiei stood with me, cupping my face in his hands. He kept pushing my tears off of my face, but new ones simply replaced the forgotten tears. I couldn't control the sobbing because what I'd seen in the dining hall seemed to be me witnessing the death of my husband. Things hadn't been great lately, but my love for Adam hadn't faded. I loved him more than anything and the idea of losing him, especially at such a young age, was haunting.

One day, years from now, Adam was supposed to be well into his years and pass peacefully. Not… not like this, not when he was still so young and not when I was still in my early twenties! I wasn't supposed to be a widower for years and years, but it seemed like a very real possibility now.

"Drake, honey, shh," Hiei kept whispering to me, stroking my face with the feather light sweeps of his thumbs and fingers. "It's alright, Drake. The doctor is going to take care of him, alright?" I knew he wanted nothing more than to comfort me. He seemed to even be a little protective of me, but it made sense. If I hadn't told Adam I disagreed with his decisions about Hiei's punishment, he would have been shipped right off to the dungeons with all those other horrible men. I'd, in a sense, saved him and if we spent more time together, I was sure we would be closer than brothers in an instant.

Cassidy stood with me, attempting to comfort me as well but he was doing and even worse job than Hiei. I wished for Tommy to be here. His arms would have been comforting to fall into but I longed for Adam's arms more… He had to be alright. I couldn't handle things if he wasn't.

Alexander stood across the hall and every time I managed a glimpse of him through my tears and fire-y hair, I could see the confliction in his eyes. He was upset about Adam, that much was clear, but he also looked like he wanted to come over to me, perhaps try to talk to me again and comfort me, but our earlier conversation (if it could even be called one) kept him at bay. Good, I didn't want to deal with him or my problems with him right now. The only thing that did matter was Adam, and every moment the doctor took, was like another cut across already slashed wrists.

Eventually the doctor came out with his bag all packed up. He was greeted with several pairs of eyes burning into him, like if we stared at him long enough, we would be able to read what he was thinking. "Is he okay?" I asked, amazed that I even managed to speak without slurring or stuttering. I stepped away from Cassidy and Hiei to join the doctor, who was looking straight at me now.

"He's been poisoned," he said. "He seemed to realize that there was something wrong with his food before he ate too much of it, but it's going to take a while to get it completely out of his body. He threw up a lot of it, but there's some in his system that can't be helped."

"Is he going to be okay?" I demanded, urgency rushing through my being. Someone poisoned my husband? The _Pharaoh_ of _Egypt_? Sure, people tried to kill high officials all the time, but Adam? Who would have even tried? The people who worked close to him were so loyal to him and they loved him. Most of Egypt loved him for all the work he did to make their lives better. The only person I knew who didn't think Adam deserved the power he had was Brad, and Brad was fucking dead. Hundreds upon hundreds of people saw his head roll, quite literally.

The doctor sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. He was the same, elderly man who had come to check on Tommy's condition. "He should be fine, but his body is going to need to rid itself of the poison on its own. The Pharaoh has a healthy immune system. His liver should be able to take care of it, but he will need time and lots of rest. I sedated him, so, hopefully, he'll be able to sleep through the worst of the pains," he said, bowing his head at me. "I was hoping to check on Thomas while I was here," he said and I nodded, dismissing him to Tommy's chamber.

Who could have poisoned Adam? The only two people who had recently come into the palace were Hiei and Alexander. Hiei might have been caught stealing, but as I said to Adam the day of the trails, he was just doing what he needed to for survival. I didn't believe he was a horrible person in the slightest and he really wouldn't have had the time to poison Adam. He was with Cassidy all hours of the day, doing his chores.

That only really left Alexander… It really didn't make sense though. Why would he want to poison Adam? If anything, he should want to poison _me_ because _I_ was the one in between him and his former lover. Perhaps our plate had been mixed and Adam received the food that should have gone to me? I didn't want to think Alexander really would have done something like that to anyone, especially Adam or myself, but I didn't know him at all and, honestly, Adam didn't really know him anymore either. He knew an Alexander from ten years ago. A lot could have happened in ten years…

One other thought did come to my mind, but it seemed so unlikely. The man who had killed Anna when Brad was imprisoned. He was never found even though guards had been searching everywhere for him. It didn't seem likely that he would wait so long to attack Adam after his attack on Anna and, now that Brad was dead and gone, what the Hell would his motivation have been to continue his work? Surely he didn't believe he could pull that bastard's plan off by himself.

As much as I hated to accuse people of things before there was any, real, proof, I felt a surge of hatred for Alexander surge through my blood. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I, for a moment, wanted to relive that night, three years ago in the library. The only difference? My victim wouldn't be Alexander's statue, but Alexander himself. In my mind, Alexander was already guilty, but that was probably because I would have jumped at any reason for Adam not to want him around, for Adam to cast him away.

I should have believed Adam loved me enough to keep his old feelings for another man down. I should have listened to Adam every time he told me he loved me but I was terribly afraid of what Adam's heart really was. I was so afraid of losing his affections to his former lover, that it had driven me damned near to hating Alexander. I didn't like the feeling. I hated the fact that I felt the need to hate him, the feeling of hatred at all. The only person I truly hated in this world (well, not anymore) was Brad. I may have extreme dislikes of some people, like my supposed father— and Eric was also pushing himself towards the top of that list— but hate them? No.

Never.

"What have you done?" I mumbled, turning towards Alexander. "What did you _do_?!" I hissed, baring my teeth at the older version of myself. Truly, this was the reason behind my new hair. I hated looking so much like a person that I couldn't stand to be around and I was fucking sick of everyone thinking he was me. I was tired of people showing him respect that he didn't deserve and I was fucking done with people actually believing that he was Adam's lover.

Alexander's eyes went wide and he backed away from me until his back hit the far wall of the corridor. "What?" he asked, his hands coming up into the air defensively. "I didn't do this!"

My muscles tightened. I imagined this is what a panther felt like when it crouched back to attack the prey it had been stalking. Cassidy and Hiei must have seen what I was going to do before I even knew I was going to do it, because they were at my side in a moment, grabbing my arms over the tattoos that were hidden by my shirt.

"Drake…" Cassidy mumbled, holding me back. "Alexander didn't do this, I can assure you and, until we find out who did do this, you will need to make sure you have someone with you at all times. If someone attacked Adam, they are liable to attack you. Someone will probably need to check your food for you too…" Great, on top of everything that had been happening since mine and Adam's wedding night, I'd been assigned a fucking babysitter. "Are you feeling alright right now?" he asked, turning me to face him.

"Am I feeling alright? Fuck no! I just watched my husband die in front of me. Am I feeling sick like he was? No; do I look like I'm puking my guts out all over the floor?" I asked, a little on the harsh side. I didn't mean to be so cruel, but my anxiety, my anger and my worry were boiling through my blood. I couldn't control much of anything and, for a moment, I wondered if this is what women experienced when they were pregnant or PMSing.

Cassidy sighed, glancing up at Alexander. "You should probably go to bed. We'll have the guards search the palace immediately for anyone who might be responsible for this, but it's not safe. You should make sure you're locked up safe and sound for tonight," he said to the brunette. Alexander nodded, a sad, almost disappointed look in his eyes as he glanced at me. He turned, leaving Cassidy, Hiei and myself alone. Cassidy told Hiei to go find a few guards so they could begin their search, but Cassidy remained with me, even as Hiei scurried off.

"Drake, I know this isn't easy for you. It isn't for any of us but especially you…" he said, tucking a finger under my chin so I had no choice but to look at him. "But Alexander didn't do this, I'm positive. He's as likely to poison Adam as you are." That made me want to punch Cassidy, but I didn't. I also didn't argue any of the points I had made in my head. He probably wouldn't have listened to them anyone. Nobody would because they all thought Alexander was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Everyone thought I was crazy when I got bad vibes from Brad too. Look who was right about him! Oh right, that was me!

"I don't want guards to stay with me," I said, instead of getting into another argument about Alexander. I'd had enough of those with Adam. I didn't want anymore.

"Hiei and I will stay with you, okay? We aren't going to make you stay with some guards that you probably don't even know," he said. He took me several yards down the hall, to where a marble bench was sitting against the wall. He sat, pulling me down next to him and his arm wrapped protectively around me, the other holding my hand tightly.

I leaned into his comfort. Cassidy had become a very close person to me over the years. I loved him like I might love an older brother, well, a close brother anyway. Sometimes I thought he might be what a good father figure might be like, but I loved him a way that didn't seem right for a father. I couldn't really explain it though.

"Drake… There's something that I should probably inform you of," he said softly into my hair. He pressed gentle kisses into my hair and scalp every so often and it comforted me to a point I didn't really believe was possible at the moment. "Adam asked me not to say anything to you. He said he wanted to tell you when he felt the time was right but, seeing as the current circumstances call for you needing to know…"

My heart was pounding loudly in my chest. I couldn't imagine what it was that Cassidy needed to tell me, but I was almost afraid to know it. I coughed, forcing a dry lump in my throat down, before looking up at Cassidy. I was almost sure my eyes betrayed my fear. "What is it, Cass?" I asked. His hand let go of mine and moved to cup my face. He ran the pads of his fingers lightly over the soft skin, caressing it almost the exact same way Adam would.

"Adam…" he began, inhaling deeply through his nose. It looked like he wanted to look away from me, but he kept his eyes locked on mine. "He wrote his will a few weeks before your wedding," he said, his hand lying flat against my cheek.

"What…? Why? Was there… something wrong with him?" I asked, my heart already beginning to ache, as if he had already told me Adam was terminally ill or something.

"No, no…" Cassidy said, shaking his head softly, "There wasn't anything wrong with him, he just wanted to… be sure that, if something back were to happen, arrangements would be made to keep Egypt going. He thought that, if he didn't have a chance to pick one of your brothers before his passing, he needed to make sure someone was able to take his place."

That was another thing I needed to worry about. Adam named my brothers his heirs, but I felt that Eric would never be able to take his place. Even before Eric told me I never should have been born, I felt he was too rash and irrational to be Pharaoh. Hayden was still so young, I had no idea what type of Pharaoh he might make. I felt my second youngest brother, Jonah, might be best for the position…

"Okay?" I whispered, wiping away the tears that clung to my face and the new ones that were hanging onto my eyelids. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked. I failed to see how Adam's will had anything to do with the current situation. The doctor said Adam would be _fine_.

Cassidy sighed again, his thumb stroking my cheek gently. "He named you his heir if anything were to happen to him. He gave you everything in his will, Drake," he said. My heart, I would have sworn on my mother's life, stopped in mid-beat. "He left you the entire palace, all of his belongings and his throne. If, Ra forbid, anything were to happen to him before he was able to rightfully choose an heir, you would be given the throne."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Was Adam coocoo bananas? Being married and having some power over Egypt was one thing, but to be Pharaoh? No, I couldn't do that. I wasn't cut out for a job like that! I… would never be able to do what Adam could do…

"Okay… Okay…" I mumbled, not really able to respond much to what was being said to me. "So?"

"So, his will also states that, if for whatever reason, he is unable to fulfill his duties as Pharaoh for any given amount of time, the position was to be yours until he was fit to take it back," Cassidy said. "That includes now. You heard the doctor; he's going to heal, but it's going to take some time. Egypt can't just not have a Pharaoh for that time so… you're going to need to fill in for him." My heart, again, stopped in my chest. Knowing I was next in line for the throne was overwhelming enough. Being thrown into the position? Completely different matter entirely.

But I couldn't really say no. Adam entrusted me with his throne and I couldn't just turn down the wishes of my husband… If he felt leaving me his position was the best thing for Egypt, than I would do everything in my power to make sure that I proved his decision was a good one. I just wasn't entirely sure that I could do a good job as Pharaoh.

"Okay… So I'm temporarily the Pharaoh of Egypt… Okay…" I mumbled, shaking my head some. I was still in shock.

"Drake," Cassidy whispered after long moment of silence. "I need you to know that he has given all of this to you because he loves you and there is no one in this world or the next that he trusts more than he trusts you," he whispered. I looked up at him, tears brimming in my eyes as I nodded my understanding.

I never should have questioned Adam's love for me. This proved it.

Hiei came back with several guards just then and Cassidy left me on the bench to speak with them. Soon enough, every guard in and around the palace were organized into a giant search team to look throughout the building for whoever did this to Adam and, as much as I hated to admit it, I probably owed Alexander an apology. That didn't necessarily mean he was going to get it anytime soon, though.

Adam was more important.


	88. Chapter 88

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Everyone's Pointing Their Fingers, Always Condemning Me…**

 **Alex's POV**

Sitting near Adam, watching him enjoy his meal with his hand cupped over Drake's on the table, made me feel a little more comfortable than I had in the past few days. To see him looking so content with where he was made me curious to know if he'd worked things out with Drake but happy, enough, for him and his pleasant aura to not need to know. I could only assume that things were going to be okay and that, eventually, mine and Drake's situation would get better.

I'd been dead wrong.

I'd noticed that, during the second course, Adam began to grow a little pale in his face. He looked to be having difficulty swallowing his food and drink; like they tasted bad or made him hurt. I'd wanted to ask him if he was okay, but Drake beat me to the punch for such words, and I kept my mouth shut as Adam took a drink of his wine, again. He grimaced a little, growing even paler.

His skin was beginning to look ashy and clammy, almost, with a touch of sweat forming in his forehead. He was breathing hard as he pushed his chair back, trying to stand to his feet. I watched him begin to move a little when his legs failed him and he fell, his head narrowly missing the corner of the dining table.

My heart crashed to a stop.

I shot to my feet from my own chair, but I was frozen to my spot. Drake, Cassidy, and, who I could only imagine to be Drake's mother, clamored to Adam, trying to talk to him, trying to get him to respond as they reached for him, touching him. Adam cried out in something that sounded like agony when skin came in contact with his own.

They rolled Adam over in time for him to vomit the food he'd just eaten. My stomach flopped over itself and I fought back a gag, palming a hand over my mouth as the contents of Adam's stomach sprayed out on the floor. But it was wrong. It was all wrong. It was red in color, reeking of a metallic scent. Reeking of blood.

My heart tumbled over itself, but, still, I could not move. I couldn't even force myself to move. I could only stand and stare across the table and down at them as Adam vomited again, shaking like a leaf in a stiff wind. And as Drake pulled Adam close, I could see tears in the younger boy's eyes, streaking down his face. Each tear was a work of art, but Drake— sobbing— was utterly tragic.

This was not the first time, sad as it was, that I'd seen Drake cry. It was not the first time I'd seen him so upset, whether it was with grief or absolute rage— though, I was sure, that I hadn't really seen the true extent of such rage. No… This was not the first time I'd seen Drake cry.

It was, however, the first time I saw agony, fear and utter denial in him. And to see him in such a state of mine, knowing that it would be suicide of me to try and go to comfort him, broke my heart.

It took the doctor an hour to come to the palace, go to the room in which we'd taken Adam to lie down in, to come back out bearing the news that he'd been poisoned during his dinner. An hour of Drake weeping in the arms of a servant whose name I did not know but whose face was a little more than appealing to the eye. Cassidy whispered gentle words to Drake, but nothing seemed to soothe him in the least. It was an hour of silence from me, for there was no one I'd wished to speak to other than Drake. However, I knew, he had no interest in speaking to me.

Though… To hear from the doctor that Adam— _Adam_ , of all people— had been poisoned… It was like a knife to the heart. A scalding hot butcher's knife, chopping and severing the heart to blackened pieces.

It was hard to breathe when the doctor bowed in respect to Drake before cutting around the darkened corner to tend to Tommy's illness. It was hard to think that Adam… _My_ Adam had been.. No. He wasn't mine. That hurt enough. But to know that Adam was poisoned and I couldn't do _anything_ about it… I couldn't go to him, comfort him or check on him. I couldn't even…

"What have you done…?" I heard Drake hiss in my direction. I turned, staring hard at the younger man, my heart stuttering in my chest as my mouth went dry. Staring at his face, into eyes that had turned back with such loathing and rage, I felt a tremor of fear. A cold twinge shook me from within, and I found myself without voice or breath.

"What did you _do_?!" Drake screamed, his body tensing as he bared his teeth at me. Cassidy and the young servant, the one who had been comforting Drake not five minutes before, were suddenly at his sides, grabbing his arms to hold him back before he could even think to pounce and attack me. My mouth gaped open a little, and I backed up against the wall, holding my hands up in defense as I tried to tell him that this wasn't my fault. That I hadn't done this. I _couldn't_ have done this!

I just couldn't have. Adam used to be my lover. Before he was my lover, he was my best friend. I would never— in this life or the next— wish for any harm to come to upon him. And, yet, Drake was accusing me of poisoning the one man whose happiness and life I cared for more than my own!

Cassidy told me to go to bed and make sure that my room was secure before he pulled Drake aside. I didn't want to leave them, though I knew that Drake would not want me around him any longer tonight. Who was I to hope that things would be better between us after he'd just accused me of being Adam's attempted-killer? Who was I to hope for anything…

I sighed softly, nodding once before turning on my heel and making my way down the hall towards my room. Part of me wanted to turn around and run right back to Drake. Another part wanted to run to Adam and stay with him, even though I knew it was not my place. It wasn't my place to even be here! My presence had caused nothing but pain for everyone…

It made me wonder… If Adam had just let me leave, would he be sick right now? Would his life had been threatened?

' _Don't think like that. Don't. Just don't. Adam wouldn't want you to._ ' Adam… Ra, why do you curse me so? Why do you push me so forcefully back into Adam's life and taunt me with his never-fading beauty? Why do you give me back to him when he can't, really, have me back, at all? I stopped by my bedroom, door, resting a hand on the wood. I was tired and I needed sleep, but something told me that I wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight.

' _What are you going to do? Drake wants nothing to do with you, but he's hurting. He's hurting because his lover almost died tonight. He may not really like you right now, but you know Adam better than anyone else… Even more so than Cassidy… But… Maybe that's not the case. Ten years is a long time, Alex… Maybe Adam's changed…_ ' I thought to myself, leaning heavily against the door.

I didn't want to think that Adam had changed. He still appeared to be the same. He still talked the same. Laughed the same. Smiled the same. Adam was still Adam, and he would always be Adam. The only difference between now and ten years ago was that instead of me being his lover, being his husband, he had Drake—

Drake.. He was the perfect man. The perfect match to Adam. He knew how to make Adam smile. He knew how to make Adam laugh. He knew how to make Adam be the Adam that I used to see… Drake was a beautiful person, inside and out. He was intelligent, he was adorable, he was likeable, charming, funny, artistic…

And he needed comfort. He needed to know that Adam was going to be okay. And, whether he liked it or not, he needed me…

I pushed off from the door, spinning on my heel before hurrying down the hallway again. I knew that Cassidy told me to go and stay in my room tonight in case Adam's attempted-killer came looking for anyone else. I knew that Drake wasn't going to be happy to see me again tonight, but what else could I do? Adam had been poisoned and Drake was unstable.

Rounding a corner, I rushed down the corridor, breathing lightly and trying to think of what room Drake might've gone to. I couldn't imagine that he would have gone to stay with Adam— the doctor instructed that no one stay with him tonight. Part of me had a feeling that Cassidy, at least, would want to stay with him, but Drake was known to be stubborn, as I was.

Ra, the more I thought about it, the more alike we, truly, were.

I shook my head of the thoughts that were running about, trying to clear it some as I turned another corner. I could see the door to the room in which we'd taken Adam to earlier, and a little farther down the hall was the dining room, which meant that around the corner at the end of this hall and down the corridor would be Adam and Drake's room. The very room I used to spend my nights with Adam in..

' _Stop it. That time is over. Adam's moved on. You've moved on. Remember, Alex, his happiness is far more important than anything else right now… Well, his health comes first, then his happiness. And his happiness is Drake's._ ' I sighed softly, hesitating some. Part of me had a feeling to go to the room in which Adam was resting, and another said to go down towards Adam and Drake's room.

But why go to the room that Adam was in? …Simple. Drake must've been there.

I inhaled slowly, licking my lips before pivoting on my foot some, turning towards the door. My heart was pounding in my chest as the moonlight washed through the windows of the hallway. It must've been little after midnight, but I could not tell for sure, nor did I really care. All I cared about was finding Drake. I needed to make things right. Ra… If.. If Adam didn't make it, I knew Drake wouldn't be able to make it. He needed all the support and love he could get while Adam was ill…

Pressing my hand to the door, I started to curl it to knock before thinking twice, and I reached for the handle, pushing it open as quietly as I could. Slipping into the room, I found the lights to be dim, but on, and I could make out the figure of Drake sitting on his knees next to the bed, holding Adam's hand in both of his. He was shaking, crying softly as Adam slept in quiet, his skin still pale.

I bit down on my lip. Drake hadn't noticed me, and I was tempted to turn and just leave. Who was I to intrude on his alone time with Adam? Who had I been to intrude on their life at all? Wasn't it bad enough when Tommy fell ill? Was that not stress enough for them both? And then I had to come barreling into their lives like I owned the palace. Hell, some of the servants had mistaken me for Drake before he cut and dyed his hair…

But I couldn't leave. I'd come this far. And whether he liked it or not, Drake was going to accept the fact that I was here for him.

"Drake," I whispered, and the boy's back went rigid. He gasped softly, turning his head to face me. The cut of his hair swished, the ends coming past his chin, framing his face and making him look… Breathtaking, even in his grief. I could see exactly why Adam would love him so much.

"What do you want?" Drake hissed at me, tears cascading down his cheeks, but he did not look sorrowful in the least. He looked angry. Hateful. I could not blame him.

"I came… I came to apologize. For everything. Please, please forgive me," I whispered, taking a step closer to him, letting the door swing shut. Drake's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed some and he seemed to squeeze Adam's hand in his. I swallowed the lump in my throat, hesitating in mid-step.

"Your apology is not accepted, Alexander," Drake snarled. He was the only one who called me by my full name. He refused to call me "Alex".

I sighed softly, finishing my step before taking another, "Well that's a shame, then, isn't it? Because I'm not going anywhere, Drake. Do I have any intention in taking your place in Adam's heart and in his bed? Absolutely not. My intention is to see that you and Adam are happy together. That you live to see the fullest of your days, well into your years. Not like this," I said, motioning to Adam. Drake frowned, glaring at me before looking away.

"You accuse me of poisoning Adam when you know, perhaps, better than anyone else that I love Adam," I explained to Drake, taking another step. "Please, understand that I would never do this to him. There was only one man I have ever wished such cruelty upon, and he has been gone for quite some time," I knew there would come a day where I would tell Drake that Brad had violated me, too. But tonight was not the night for that. Tonight was not the night for a lot of things, actually.

"Can't _you_ understand my logic?" Drake questioned, glaring up at me with tear-filled eyes. "Can't _you_ understand my fear in your being here, at all?"

"Yes," I whispered, "yes, I can. I can Drake. Please, though, I don't want to be with Adam when he has someone so perfect like you. He's happier with you than he ever was with me," I said, taking another step before kneeling down next to Drake. He shied away from me, curling close to the side of the bed, clinging to Adam's hand.

"Drake… Please," I whispered, reaching out for him. But he raised his hand, slapping my palm away.

"Leave me. Leave _us_ ," he seethed, and I had no doubt that he was referring to Adam as well. I sighed heavily, my shoulders slouching forward a little bit. I wanted to comply to his wishes and leave him, but I couldn't. I couldn't give in anymore.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking up at him, "But I just can't do that, Drake," I told him, my jaw locking itself into place as I stared hard at him. He looked baffled that I had so openly defied him, and in the presence of the Pharaoh— however out of it he might've been. Drake's mouth dropped slightly and he stared back at me before snapping it shut.

"You dare defy me?" He hissed, wanting to use his power as Pharaoh's Husband to his advantage. I swallowed the lump that was lodged in my throat before speaking.

"Yes," I retaliated, reaching forward and grabbing him by the shoulders, pulling him to me in a tight embrace. Drake struggled against me, squirming and groaning before letting go of Adam's hand and pressing his palms to my chest, forcing me back. I lost my balance and fell back onto my backside, staring hard at him through the curtain of my hair.

Pushing my hair out of my face, I sat back to my knees, grabbing Drake's upper arm. I snaked an arm around his waist, my arm sliding over his shoulders and across his back as I slammed him close to me again, holding him tight to my chest. He struggled again before stopping briefly when I felt him begin to shake. Before I knew it, Drake had gone from fighting me and trying to get me away from him to fisting his hands into my shirt and crying heavily into my shoulder.


	89. Chapter 89

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Hold Me Up When I'm Not Strong Enough  
Drake's POV**

If someone asked me why I was so harsh towards Alexander one minute and clinging to him like a lost child finally found by his mother, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer. I wasn't entirely sure what brought on the change in my attitude towards him, but after crying into his shoulder for almost an hour, I didn't hate him as much as I believed I did.

Perhaps I didn't hate him at all.

It was completely true that I didn't like Alexander being around the palace, and more importantly my husband, all the time. But I never thought that he was a bad person. I was jealous of him and I was scared to death that he was going to take Adam from me, but did I truly believe he hurt Adam? No, of course I didn't. He loved Adam, just like I did. That bothered me to some extend and comforted me to other extents.

Last night was the night Alexander had defied me in front of Adam (even if he was out of it). Last night was the night he forced me to let him comfort me and last night was the night I gave into him. As I've said, I couldn't tell you why, but when Alexander was holding me, it was like a mutual understanding of the other passed between us. I felt what was in his heart even if he wasn't talking. There was this feeling between us, like we'd been through the same hardship. Like, for a moment, we were the same person.

That feeling left me iffy. When I first found out about him, three years ago, I hated that we were similar. I still hated it because people confused us now. I didn't like being so much like someone. I felt like I wasn't an individual sometimes, even if I knew better, but Alexander and I were different people. We had different interests and we acted differently in a lot of respects. However, we also identical in a lot of ways too. We were intelligent and we were stubborn. We loved the same man and, for what I felt while I was in his arms last night, I had a feeling that we'd both experienced some horrible things that people shouldn't have to go through.

I didn't really understand the sudden connection to him. It was what I imagined twins felt like with one another. Alexander and I weren't related by blood, but we could have been twins, if it were possible for twins to be born thirteen years apart. The link that had sprouted between Alexander and myself scared the living shit out of me, but I surprisingly did not resent it. Maybe it was a good thing to understand the man on an intimate level. Adam wanted us to be friends. Alexander wanted my approval and my friendship. I didn't want to constantly hate and loath him just for being here.

It would be healthy for everyone in the palace if Alexander and I got along and, truthfully, Alexander was right. He said he wouldn't be going anywhere, and I knew that was true. Adam loved me. He was married to me, but now that he knew Alexander was alive, he didn't want to lose him again, even if they were nothing more than friends. I had to believe Adam loved me because if I was constantly hateful towards Alexander because of my fear, I wouldn't be so loveable anymore.

I needed to get over my own problems, even if I still felt threatened by the older version of myself. Alexander wasn't going anywhere. I wasn't going anywhere. Wasn't it healthy for everyone if Alexander and I had a decent relationship? Ra, I had been so blinded by my jealousies and my fear, I didn't even realize how sour I had been since Alexander had come here… Over the last few weeks, especially since Tommy wasn't around to help me out, I'd become incredibly rude and sarcastic.

I didn't like that feeling. I used to be so loveable and adorable (unless I was naked in Adam's bed). Now? Now I seemed like a bitter old woman and I was only twenty-fucking-one year old.

Adam needed Alexander and I to be on good terms, perhaps even be friends. I still have no idea how, but last night was the start of that. Crying into Alexander's shoulder for only Ra knows how long had built a sort of blood bond between us that neither one of us had any control over. We understood each other in ways that didn't even make sense, but I couldn't worry about it. Time would reveal all of that too us eventually. Right now, Alexander was meeting me half way and I had to try to do the same, not just for him, but for Adam, for my friends and for myself.

Then there was Adam getting poisoned, Tommy still not showing any signs of getting better and the fact that my own life was constantly in danger. Those were all issues that were more important than me trying to understand something I probably never would. I didn't sleep last night, but I decided that I would stop hating Alexander so much for my insecurities. Hating him was just too much work and I just wanted this war, that was really all my fault, to just stop.

Now I just needed to focus on finding who poisoned Adam, keep tending to Tommy and temporarily run the country while my husband couldn't. No big deal, right? Sure…

"Drake?" My head snapped up and my eyes fell on Alexander. The normal hatred or loathing of seeing him was not there. I was shocked more than anything to see him. I was in my studio, just trying to clear my head and think. I had told Cassidy I wanted to be alone, much to his displeasure. He didn't want to leave me alone after what had happened to Adam, but I was the Pharaoh for the time being. He couldn't force me to do anything, really.

"Hi Alex," I said, turning back to stare out the wall of windows. Alexander walked up to stand next to me.

"You know that's the first time you haven't called me Alexander?" he asked. I looked over at him again, my eyes soft and showing my conflicting emotions, I had no doubt.

"I'm terrified of you, Alex. I'm so afraid that I'm going to lose Adam because he'll want you more than he'll want me… but I absolutely hate hating you. I'm not a spiteful person and I don't like the feeling. I don't like the way I've been acting lately and… I hate that disappointed look Adam gives me every time I blow you off," I told him, swallowing my pride. This was definitely not an easy thing for me to do, especially to Alexander. "I'd like us to get along. I'd… like to, maybe, have your friendship, even if I'm scared of you."

"You shouldn't be so afraid of me, Drake. You outshine me ten fold. Adam won't want me back as long as he has you, I would bet my life on it," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I'd like to have your friendship as well, more than anything." I looked down at his hand and smiled at him softly.

"Did you need something?" I asked. "I told Cassidy I didn't want to be with anyone for a while…"

"Oh, I apologize. I haven't talked to Cassidy today. I just wanted to come see if you were alright after last night and to tell you that we'll be having lunch soon. Your food is being checked for poison right now… Cassidy and Hiei are supervising it, I believe," he explained.

I couldn't help but think that Cassidy was falling for Hiei. They spent a lot of time together because Cassidy was to look over Hiei's work, but Cassidy even spent his free time with Hiei. He requested that Hiei eat dinner with us and I couldn't really see how there _wasn't_ something going on between them. "Alright, then let's go eat," I said. Alexander looped his arm with mine, like he wasn't even thinking, and he pulled me out of the studio.

We were almost to the dining hall when Eric rounded a corner, bumping into me, much like the day he had said all of those horrible things to me. "Oh… My apologies," Eric mumbled, taking a step back away from me. I simply frowned at him and kept walking, but he reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me back towards him.

"Drake, wait," Eric muttered, turning me to face him. I stared up into his blue eyes for a long while. Alexander hovered behind me, staying silent but there in case I decided I needed his help, or something.

"What, Eric?" I hissed coldly. Nothing would ever erase his hurtful words from my memory. It was like he hated me and I didn't deserve his loathing. Who was he to talk to me like that, anyway?

"I just… I wanted to apologize for… all the things I said to you. I didn't really realize how much you really loved him until last night and I was… really out of line. I- I'm sorry…" he said, dropping his head in what seemed like shame. I wasn't really convinced of how sorry he was though.

"Fuck off, Eric," I told him, pulling my arm out of his grasp. "Nothing you will ever say will erase the venom you injected into my heart that day! Yes, I was taken from our home to be a pleasure servant to the Pharaoh of Egypt, but who was I to say no to him? He's the _pharaoh_ and you know what? My time with him was the best of my life! I _love_ him, Eric. I love him and you just made me out to be a worthless waste of space. You turned me into a whore, Eric!"

"Drake I…" he started, but I really didn't want to hear any of it.

"No, Eric, just stop! You told me I never should have been born. That was all I needed to hear from you. I never though I would dislike someone in my family more than my 'father' but I was wrong. You showed me that you really don't care about me at all. Well, now you can consider it mutual!" I exclaimed. "I don't really know what your problem with me is, but you need to get the fuck over yourself because I don't have answer to you and, even if I did, I have nothing to be sorry for."

"When you left, I had to do everything!" Eric cried. "I was forced into the head of the family. I wasn't ready for that position! I was only fucking sixteen, Drake! When you left, my life was horrible and you didn't even seem to care!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Eric. I'm so sorry that you were forced to go out and get job when you were sixteen, you poor thing," I said, sarcasm dripping in my tone. "But when Father died, I was forced to grow up and I was only thirteen, Eric! I was barely a teenager when I was thrown into a life of hard work and leadership. I had to grow up real fast while you stayed at home with Mama and our siblings, not doing one god damned thing to help me! Maybe if you had helped, I wouldn't have been taken away in the first place."

Eric's eyes widened and he seemed to be at a loss for words. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Eric. You don't need to be so selfish about everything, and I can't accept your apology because you don't mean it. You'll never mean it and you can never take back all of those horrible things you said to me," I said, staring him hard in the eyes until he looked away. I was his older brother, even if I was smaller than him. I was in a position of power. I was the alpha and I wanted to make sure that he knew it this time. The last time we ran into each other, I'd backed down. I would not make that mistake again.

"So that's it then?" Eric asked, his eyes locked on his feet.

"Until you can make me believe you're actually sorry because you're sorry and not because you're feeling guilty, yes, that's it," I told him and turned away, walking into a small dining hall to meet Cassidy and Hiei for lunch.


	90. Chapter 90

**Chapter Thirty-Five: And If All The World Is Perfect, I Would Only Ever Want To See Your Scars**

 **Cassidy's POV**

"Hiei?" I said, stepping into my bedroom with the door handle clenched in my grasp. Hiei spun on his heel, whipping around to face me with wide and startled eyes. I frowned slightly, taking another step further into the room, letting my door swing shut behind me as near-darkness enveloped me and the boy in front of me, "Aren't you supposed to be with Drake?"

Hiei folded his arms around his stomach, shifting from one foot to the other as he looked away, "He said he wanted to be alone. I— I insisted that I stay with him for his safety, but he told me he would be fine. That he could take care of himself… He gave me a kiss and bid me a good night," he trailed off, biting down on his bottom lip for a moment before glancing up at me, clear concern etched on his face.

"I know I should have stayed with him, but he's Pharaoh's husband, and he'd already gone around the corner when I realized my error. I didn't know where else to go, and another servant told me, a few days ago, that your room was in this general area so I just looked and—"

I cut him off by sweeping up close to him, cupping his face in my palms and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. Hiei moaned into my mouth, softly, his arms linking themselves over my shoulders and around my neck as he kissed me back ever so sweetly. My hands fell from his face before they flattened themselves into the small of his back, and I brought him closer to me, letting his small body come right up against my own.

I pulled away from his lips, but I kept him in my arms, snuggled up tight. I tilted my head to the side, dragging a soft kiss against his cheekbone, breathing into his skin. Hiei smiled warmly, but his eyes were shut as he leaned deeply into me, letting his fingers play with the hair on the nape of my neck. I chuckled quietly, kissing his cheeks, forehead and his lips over and over.

"I just… I didn't want to be alone tonight. After what happened to Pharaoh, I wanted to follow Drake and make sure that he, truly, was going to be alright, but I didn't want to disobey him, either. And the corridors were so dark…" I shook my head, reaching up to slide my fingertips over his lips, silencing him immediately.

"You're alright, Hiei. You're okay. You did as I told you, and someone of higher power told you to let it be. If Drake wants to be alone tonight, you certainly could not stop him, nor could you disobey him," I whispered into his ear, smiling softly at him. Hiei sighed gently, his breath ghosting against the skin of my neck and collarbones as he leaned closer to me, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Thank you," he muttered, clinging close to me. I pressed a kiss into his hair, guiding him towards my bed with his hands in my own.

I had no interest in romantic affairs for tonight. Between Adam being… poisoned so suddenly and telling Drake that he was now, temporarily, the Pharaoh of all Egypt, I was exhausted. I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up with Hiei— though he was a nice addition to my original plan of curling up, alone— in my arms and just sleep away all of the ill-happenings of this night.

I stripped myself and Hiei of our shirts and sandals, falling into the comforts of the mattress, pulling Hiei down with me. He giggled as I let out a heavy sigh and he wrapped his arms around my waist, snuggling up beside me. He tucked his head on top of my chest, letting it rest beneath my chin as my own arms looped around him, and I smiled.

There was a long stretch of silence between myself and Hiei. Sleep did not wish to grace me with her sweet presence, and I could only assume that she wasn't giving any favors to Hiei, either. After a moment, though, Hiei sighed heavily, shifting in my arms to cuddle closer with me, his breath tickling my bare chest.

It was almost hard to believe that Hiei had been here for several weeks, already. Between all of the madness of the wedding that Drake and Adam had shared to Tommy coming down with fever, Drake's family getting settled, Hiei being brought in and put to work to pay off his debt… Hiei and I getting closer as Alex came back and Adam got poisoned… It was hard to digest that so much time had passed already.

A flash of a thought crossed my mind, reminding me of something that I'd neglected to inform Hiei of. I bit down on my bottom lip, readjusting my arms some to link them securely around Hiei's lower back, folding my hands against the backs of his hips, "Hiei?" I inquired quietly, unsure if he, truly, was still awake or if he was just restless in his sleep. Part of me prayed he was sleeping…

"Yes?" He replied just as gently, staying still in my arms. No such luck for me. My heart skipped a beat, lodging itself in just a spot in my throat that I couldn't quite swallow it away, but it wasn't, exactly, keeping me from speaking, either. I inhaled slowly, burying my nose into his hair some.

"You've done enough work to pay your dues… If you wish, you are free to leave the palace whenever you like. You can go back to your old life, if you want," I explained, my heart skipping beats and clenching in my chest. In the time that Hiei had been here, he made me feel alive. He made me forget the pain of betrayal and disgust that Brad had left behind in my heart with his crimes and his death. And in that sudden feeling, I'd found him more than just fascinating.

I wanted him. I wanted him for my own and I wanted him to want me all the same. Was it wrong of me to feel so when we'd shared such intimate kisses and passionate moments as that in the library? Was it wrong of me to want to know more about him? To explore his memories with him while I explored his body?

And perhaps it was selfish of me to keep the information of his debt being paid off from him. After all, he'd been determined to get his work done so he could leave when he was first brought here. And while I did believe that he felt something for me, Hiei… Hiei was the kind of individual who was cunning and witty, and no doubt willing to do what was necessary to get his way in means of survival. I did not wish to believe him to be another Brad.

Selfish, perhaps so. But I didn't want to let go of him… And his words made my heart stop in my chest.

"… I— I don't want to leave. I like it here," he whispered. I had to fight myself to hold back the breath of relief that I wanted so desperately to release. I had to be logical. I had to be the Cassidy who was an adviser to the Pharaoh. Not the Cassidy that was so quickly falling for this boy…

"Don't you have family, Hiei? I'm sure they miss you—" I began to say, but Hiei's clipped and venomous words made me stop short, my blood turning cold and thick.

"I don't have any family," I glanced down at him, frowning softly. His eyes were squeezed shut with his face just inches from being buried into my chest. His jaw was clenched and he looked pained. I let out my sorrowful breath, tilting my head down to kiss his forehead.

"I am sorry—"

"Don't be," he snapped.

"…Why?" It was probably not my place to ask, but I wanted to know. I wanted to understand him. Hiei was like a puzzle to me; I would start to figure him out, piece by piece, and then he would become more complex. Like a labyrinth, really. I'd figure out the outer walls only to find doors and corridors and sealed off passageways. I didn't want to push or pry anything from him if he wasn't ready for it, however…

"My mother died when I was young, and my father was a cruel man. That is why," Hiei explained vaguely, the tone of his voice saying more than his words. He did not wish to indulge further tonight. I bit down on my bottom lip, unsure if I, really, wanted to know the meaning of his father "being cruel".

"I am sorry about your mother, then," I whispered to him. Hiei shrugged in my arms, but he didn't say another word on the matter. I let out a tired, quiet breath, bending down to kiss his forehead again. He didn't budge, nor did he make a sound. Poor thing…

"Goodnight," I muttered, letting my eyes slip shut before falling deep into my slumber.

When I awoke, Hiei was still pressed tight to my chest, his knee nestled between my thighs and his mouth ghosting breaths against my neck. But he was still in his sleep and I smiled softly to myself. I blinked, taking note to the light streaming across my room. It was well into the morning, and I doubted that Drake or Alexander would be awake by now, but I could not make any assumptions.

I yawned softly, turning my head away for a moment before shifting back, looking down at the sleeping Hiei. He looked so at peace and content. There was even, it seemed, a touch of a smile on his lips. He must've been having a good dream. I smiled softly, tilting my head down to kiss his hairline above his ear. Hiei shifted slightly, but otherwise did not wake up.

Despite the desire to stay in his arms I, gently, pulled myself away from Hiei and the comfort of the warm bed, shuffling across the floor as quietly as I could to my wardrobe. I knew I was going to need a bath at some point today but I didn't, really, feel like going right now. There was something I needed to get before doing anything else first.

I pulled open the doors quietly, reaching in for a white robe that had red, blue and gold trims and embroidery. I slipped it on over my shoulders, letting it hang open to expose my chest and my hips, ending at my thighs. My trousers still clung to my legs, ending just below my knees.

I shut the doors, turning on my heel to see Hiei sound asleep with his arms curled around the pillow that my head had been resting on. How he managed to grab it and curl himself around it without making too much noise was beyond me, but I didn't question. Instead, I just smiled and crossed the room towards the door, slipping out silently and shutting the door.

I made my way down the hall, my stride light and brisk, my destination a good eighth of a mile to the west. The palace was a something like a mile East to West and half a mile South to North. The walk was short and easy, and I'd anticipated it to be undisturbed, but that wasn't the case. I turned a corner, seeing Drake making his way in my direction. I hesitated in my step, my eyes searching his face for a sign of trouble or any reason to be worried.

"Good morning, Drake," I said to him, bowing my head in respect. From the direction he was walking, I could only assume that he'd stayed with Adam last night while the King slept off the poison. He looked tired, but.. There, also, seemed to be a sense of peace about him.

"Good morning, Cassidy," he replied to me, his voice soft. He was dressed in a white vest and a pair of white trousers, a few necklaces hanging around his neck as well as the ring that Adam had given him on their wedding day on his hand. I don't think I've ever seen him without it.

"Where are you off to?" I asked him, stopping in the hall completely as Drake came up to my side. He stared off down the way for a moment before letting out a breath, speaking to me without looking at me.

"My studio. I need some time alone. Please, if anyone asks for me, just tell them I wish to be by myself?" He requested gently, turning his head towards me when he spoke his last few words. I frowned softly, licking my lips a little.

"Drake… Are you sure that's wise? After what happened to Adam—" I began to tell him, but Drake just lifted his hand, silencing me.

"Please, Cassidy. I'll be fine. I just need to clear my head for a little while," he said. I sighed softly, bowing my head again.

"As you wish. Shall I send for you when lunch is ready?" I suggested, and Drake only nodded once before turning away, continuing his trek across the palace towards his studio. I watched him go, disappearing around the corner before sighing quietly to myself, pivoting on my heel to make my way down towards my own studio, which was just around the corner.

I reached the door, inhaling slowly before pushing it open and stepping inside. The walls were curved, creating a sort of oval shape. Not as extreme as Drake's studio, but very similar in style. A large bay window curved with the wall, overlooking the southeast half of the city beyond. On the northern wall was a desk that stretched from end to end, forming to make a sort of slight semi-circle. Mannequins, fabrics, sketchbooks, pencils, pens and various complete and incomplete pieces of clothing were hanging off racks or counters.

I hadn't been here in a few months because of all the planning and then the matters of Tommy and Adam falling ill. It was strange coming back when I'd been away for so long, but it was also comforting because nothing had been moved. Nothing had been changed. Everything was where I left it and everything was just.. right.

Inhaling slowly, I smiled to myself, letting my door slip shut as I crossed to my desk. I glanced down at an open sketchbook, seeing a design open and unfinished on the page. It looked like something Drake would wear, but the longer I stared at it, the more I found it fitting for Hiei. It wasn't too revealing— a simple and neat shirt. Vee-neck with billowy sleeves that would end around the elbows. Trimmed with gold and sapphire stitching.

Smiling to myself, I reached down for the sketchbook, flipping it closed before gathering it and a few pencils with an eraser in my hands, turning out of my studio and back down the hall. I had never intended to stay long. I'd just wanted to go back, breathe in familiar, comforting air, and grab my sketchbook.

Was I an artist in the caliber that Drake was? No. Drake was the kind of artist that thought of things on the spot and required little to no effort to make it come alive. All of my sketches and finished products would take days, weeks, even months to start and finish to the level that I deemed perfect or satisfactory. Drake could think of something on the spot and have it finished between a few hours and a day or two at most. Unless it was a sculpture. That usually only took him a week at most.

Slipping down the hall, I made my way back to my room. There was a bit of a skip in my step and when I passed the occasional servant, I gave them a nod and a smile. Some looked confused at my behavior, others just seemed pleased and smiled back at me. I turned a corner, walking back down towards my door before quietly pushing it open and stepping inside.

Hiei shifted on the bed, stretching with his arms above his head before his eyes fluttered open and he looked in my direction. My heart skipped a beat in my chest as I crossed the room towards him, bending down to kiss him gently. Hiei moaned softly, reaching up to palm my face as he kissed me back. I smiled against his lips before pulling away, earning a soft whine.

"Good morning to you," I whispered, and Hiei blushed softly.

"Morning," he replied before I kissed him again.

"Would you like to bathe before today's duties?" Hiei glanced up at me, frowning for a moment.

"Duties? I thought you said, last night, that I was done…?" He inquired and I smiled, pecking his lips again before pulling away.

"With chores, yes. However, I wanted to overlook the processing of our lunch meals today to make sure that nothing… Funny is slipped into them," I explained, setting my sketchbook and supplies aside on a small side table near the bed. Hiei stretched again before sitting up slowly, his hair in a tangled mess around his face. I chuckled softly, shaking my head, "And.. I was wondering if you would help me with something after lunch?"

Hiei turned his head, facing me for a moment, "Of course. With what?" I smiled at him, grabbing my book again before flipping open to a page of a rough sketch of a pair of trousers with deep green lining and silver embroidery against charcoal fabric.

Hiei's eyes went wide as he stared at the sketch for a long moment, "Oh, wow… Cassidy, this is beautiful," He said with a wide smile, looking up at me. I blushed faintly, folding the book closed again.

"I make clothing designs in my free time, and when I actually have the materials and the patience, I make the designs. I've found it to be a good stress reliever, to be honest. That and music," I said, setting the sketchbook aside. Hiei raised an eyebrow at me, slipping off the bed as I crossed to my wardrobe again.

"Music?" He suggested and I smiled, pulling the doors open and reaching in for fresh clothes. I pulled two pairs of trousers, two loose-fitting shirts and a vest for Hiei— I was planning on wearing my robe with my outfit. I turned back to him, holding out the trousers, shirt and vest for him.

"Yes, music. I play guitar and piano, sing on occasion. Nothing like Pharaoh, though," Hiei's eyes widened some.

"Pharaoh sings?" He questioned and I laughed as he took the clothes.

"Yes. Now come bath with me,"

An hour later, Hiei and I were cleaned and dressed, making our way down the halls towards the kitchens. We were walking close enough that our hands would brush and link together when we were alone, but far enough apart that if someone was nearby, we would let go and be inconspicuous. Hiei and I didn't _really_ have a solidified.. "relationship", I guess one could say. I wanted it, dearly. But we weren't quite there yet.

Turning a corner, I led Hiei through the dining hall and towards the back door to the kitchens. I could smell savory meats and vegetables cooking from beyond the door. I smiled softly to myself, pushing open the door to let Hiei step inside after me.

A few of the cook boys glanced up at us but didn't say a word as they slaved over the meals they were preparing. There was a guard stationed at the door down the way from us, no doubt supervising who was coming in and out. Boys hurried back and forth, adding potatoes, adding carrots and painting meats with sauces.

I glanced across the way, seeing a man in the hold of two guards. His face was pale with worry but he was, clearly, starving. A small plate was brought to him with items from each part of the courses, no doubt for checking for any potential poisons. I could see in his eyes that he was reluctant to eat it because he didn't want to die. But the need for food was stronger than life, it seemed, and he quickly opened his mouth for the first bite.

Watching him eat made my stomach clench in worry. What if it was poisoned? Did that mean that we were to watch another individual fall ill due to the effects? I inhaled slowly, unconsciously reaching for Hiei's hand as the man swallowed, taking another bite of food. Then another, and another, and another until the plate was clean and he was still standing. He stood for five minutes before taking a drink of water. He was fine. I let out a breath and felt Hiei relax beside me. Smiling at him, I motioned for Hiei to follow me back to the dining hall.

"Is it really so simple, then?" Hiei asked once the door slipped shut and we were alone in the privacy of the room. I turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He inhaled slowly.

"Do they just bring a convict and put his life on the line for royalty?" I sighed softly, running fingers through my hair.

"Unfortunately, yes. But think about it, Hiei; what would you risk? The life of a convicted man who's, probably, going to be behind bars for a good portion of his life anyway, or the life of someone who rules our country? You saw it last night. Adam could've died if he'd consumed anymore of the poison. He _almost_ died…" I whispered to him, sitting down in one of the chairs by the table. Hiei remained standing, gnawing on his bottom lip.

"I guess.. I just…" He trailed off, looking away. I frowned some, reaching forward to take his hand in mine, bringing his attention back to me. Hiei's eyes looked troubled and I found myself holding a breath.

"You what?" I pried, gently.

"If Drake hadn't, effectively, saved my life, that could've been me…" He whispered quietly, his eyes burned with a touch of fear. The breath expelled itself from my chest and I shook my head, bringing him closer as I palmed his face, pulling him down into a kiss. Hiei whined, shifting closer to me, sliding onto my lap.

We kissed passionately for several moments, tongues sliding back and forth, lips popping and clicking with wet heat. Hiei and I were moaning as his hands dragged through my hair, tugging on it. I growled into his mouth, clenching his hips tightly in my hands before whispering to him, "You won't have to worry about that now. Drake saved you, and I have you.. I'll keep you safe," I promised kissing him again.

Hiei pressed himself close to me, his hands fisting themselves in my hair as he ground his hips against mine. I gasped, whining softly, as my palms slid up his back and down his sides, feeling him through his clothes and wanting to just strip him and touch him like I had in the library. I wanted to throw him down onto the ground and ravage him so passionately that—

"Cassidy?" A voice made my heart stop and I froze against Hiei for a moment before pulling away, glancing to the front of the room to see Drake and Alexander standing and staring at us with wide eyes.

Fuck.


	91. Chapter 91

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Just to See You Smile, I'd Do Anything That You Wanted Me Too  
Alexander's POV**

Watching Drake fight with and effectively tell his younger brother off was strange, but walking into the dining hall so see Hiei straddling Cassidy, their lips meshed in a hot and passionate kiss, was just downright weird. I figured Cassidy did like Hiei, and more than just a little considering they were always together, even when they didn't need to be, but this?

This was just over the top.

I never thought Cassidy, the Pharaoh's most trusted adviser, would be getting so intimate with a servant boy in public. Then again, Adam himself had done that with Tommy and Drake, I supposed. It was still a shock to see it in our dining hall, though.

Cassidy and Hiei looked just as shocked to see Drake and I, standing side by side as if we were brothers. Hiei quietly got off of Cassidy, his face a nice shade of dark red. Needless to say, lunch was extremely awkward. Not too much besides official Pharaoh matters between Cassidy and Drake were said. They acted as if nothing had happened between Cassidy and Hiei, though, clearly, there was a lot of somethings going on.

"Do I really need to go do that?" Drake asked, frowning a little. They were talking about going out to visit the new pyramids that were being constructed. Drake didn't seem to keen on going out there with a couple of guards but, as Pharaoh, he didn't really have much of a choice. There were some things that just needed to be taken care of when you were in a position of power. This was one of them.

"Yes, Drake. I know it doesn't sound fun or appealing. I know you'd much rather be here with Tommy and Adam, but you have to go. You'll be back before nightfall," Cassidy said, shooting Drake a sympathetic look. "I promise, it'll be over before you know it."

"I just thought that, if I were to go to the pyramids, I would be visiting them with Adam and it would mean something," Drake mumbled, pushing the food around on his plate. He looked a little reluctant to eat anything, but I was pretty sure that Drake wasn't worried about it being poisoned. He wanted Adam to be with him. He didn't want to be ruling Egypt. He wanted his best friend to wake up from his coma. He was probably as confused as I was about what had happened between us last night. "Not just… telling people how to build the stupid things. I don't know anything about architecture. I'll probably just fuck something up… I'm the person who would break the nose off of a sphinx."

"With the way you sculpt?" Hiei piped in. "Fat chance. Those buildings are, basically, giant sculptures with hidden chambers inside…" He must have realized he'd spoken out of turn because he bowed his head and looked away.

Drake chuckled, but it was forced and half assed. I felt so bad for the poor kid. "It's alright, Hiei. Don't be afraid to talk to me. As far as I'm concerned, we're equals," Drake said to him, flashing him a beautiful smile. I was stunned that Drake could even smile at all when so many things were going wrong, but to smile so beautifully? That was all the more shocking.

Hiei smiled shyly. "Thank you," he said. Cassidy smiled a little to himself and so did I. Honestly, Drake might have had power, but he didn't let it go to his head, which was fantastic. He wasn't power hungry, thank god.

Lunch ended shortly after that. Drake left the palace, with two guards, to go oversee the pyramid's progression. Cassidy and Hiei disappeared as soon as Drake was gone and, as much as I hated to assume, I felt like them were going to continue where they left off. They had really seemed to be into it before Drake and I walked in on them.

Sighing, I began to wander the palace, exploring what had changed in the last decade and what was the same. The palace hadn't changed much except for the fact that Drake had definitely turned it into his home. Murals, paintings and sculptures done by Drake filled the halls. Honestly, it made the place more homey and gorgeous.

But I quickly ran out of places to explore. I ventured through the gardens and into the library, out towards Cassidy's room and even into the market for a little while. Nothing interested me. I ended up stopping right in front of Tommy's bedroom door. I knew it wasn't really my place to be with him, but I couldn't be with Adam when he was sick because that would be stepping over all sorts of boundaries. Why not keep a young man company when he was so sick? A sickness that I, by the way, was extremely familiar with.

I put my hands flat on the door, almost feeling the sickness seeping through the wood and into my hand. It sent chills shooting up my spine, but I didn't turn and run away, like part of me was telling me too. Instead, I dropped one hand to the door knob and turned it, pushing the door open with the slight push of my hip and hand.

Laying on the bed was a young (but older than Drake) boy with pale skin and dulling blond hair that fanned out around his face. Even in sickness, the boy was beautiful. I could see why Adam choice him to bed with and why Drake found it so hard to keep himself from loving Tommy when he was supposed to be Adam's lover.

Adam had told me all about Drake's relationship with Tommy. Honestly, I didn't see any fault in it. Drake was forced to be intimate with Tommy in ways that only lovers should be. Drake was young, innocent and new to the world of sex and passion. He couldn't keep pleasure and love separate. It didn't make sense in his young brain. If you had sex with someone, you loved that person as well. If only the world were really that simple…

Adam said that he didn't blame Drake for his attraction to Tommy. Looking at the blond, even while in a coma, it was hard not to fall for him. He was gorgeous and I was sure, by Adam's stories, that he was a fun person to be around. He had also been Drake's support system when he was first taken away from his family and, without Tommy, Drake might not have been able to make it through such a transition. Adam had even told me how jealous he was of Tommy and Drake's relationship. He knew Drake loved him with all his heart, but he knew that Drake would always love Tommy as well.

"Hey Tommy…" I said softly, sitting down on his bed. I knew he probably couldn't hear me but there was no harm in talking to him, just in case, right? "I know this probably isn't my place, but I imagine that you are awfully lonely in here. It's been really hectic around this place. A lot of things have been falling apart and it's been hard for anyone to come see you." I reached out, carefully taking Tommy's hand into my own. "Drake wishes he could be here with you. He wants to be but he's found himself in a very… tight position right now."

I stopped for a moment, laughing softly to myself. "I can't believe I'm sitting here, talking to you like I actually know you. Like you can even hear me at all…" I mumbled, putting a hand on Tommy's forehead. It was too warm and it made me think back to when Adam would put his hand against my forehead to check my temperature. "But please do me a favor, Tommy. I know we don't know each other yet but… It would mean the world to me if you woke up. I dearly wish to see Drake smile and you can make that happen. All you have to do is wake up…"

Sure, I kind of sounded a little pathetic, but everything I was saying was the truth. If Tommy could just wake up, I could see the smile on our young king's face, the one that everyone melted for. I had yet to witness it and that upset me dearly. I sighed, petting Tommy's hair gently. I wanted to lean over and press my lips to his warm forehead, but I felt that was stepping too far out of line. Tommy wasn't mine in any way. We didn't even know each other yet…

I sighed again, resting my palm against Tommy's forehead again and, too my utter amazement, his skin didn't feel as blistering as it had. The longer I kept my hand against his forehead, the cooler his skin became. At first, this alarmed me. I was almost afraid that he might be dying, but he couldn't have been, because his breathing was still deep and even. When you started dying, your breathing was not that calm. I really hoped that was needless to say, but you never knew these days…

After a few minutes, Tommy's skin was only slightly warm and the tinniest shade of pink was beginning to form on his pale cheeks. My eyes widened as he groaned and I quickly pulled my hand away from him, not wanting to seem extremely creepy when he first woke up, considering I was, technically, a stranger in his bed. That just… would be so awkward and terrible and not fun or appealing in any way.

He groaned again, turning his head to the side. Half of his hair fell over his face, hiding it from me for the most part, but I could still see his eyes opening up. My jaw fell open and, for half a second, I thought about running out of the room before he could see me. I didn't want things to get super awkward. Drake was probably already going to be upset that Tommy woke up when he was with me and not him…

Tommy just stared at the wall for a few moments before he turned his head, scanning the room for people or any form of life at all. His eyes were really only half open until he saw me, sitting on the side of his bed. His eyes widened but he didn't sit up, probably realizing that he was too weak for such movements.

"Drake?" he breathed out, hoarsely. "Oh my fucking Ra… How long have I been out? I mean you… You got so _old_." Ouch, feelings there, Tommy… I was only Adam's age. I wasn't that old…

I chuckled just slightly, shaking my head. "Tommy, I'm not Drake," I told him, although I couldn't deny that I was a little flattered for someone so close to Drake to confuse us. He was so beautiful. I couldn't bring myself to believe that I ever looked like him, even when I was his age. "I'm Alex and… I'm also… not old…" I mumbled, my lip curling out ever so slightly into a pout.

Tommy stared at me for a long while in silence. It was a little uncomfortable, but I supposed the whole situation was uncomfortable. "Alex?" he whispered, blinking in what I could only assume to be confusion. Alexander, Adam's first true lover, was supposed to be dead for years now. "Alex who?" he asked.

"Alex, Alexander…" I muttered to him. "Adam's first lover…"

"Oh Ra… I thought… I thought you were supposed to be dead? That you died ten years ago with fe-fever…" he whispered again, staring at me with the biggest, richest chocolate eyes I'd ever seen.

"Well that is a… very long story that is meant for another day. I… I shouldn't be in here. I should go get Drake and bring him here, he'll want to see you…" I muttered, standing from the bed. Weak fingers wrapped around my wrist. I could have easily slipped out of Tommy's grip but he kept me rooted there anyway.

"Wait, what's going on?" he asked tiredly. "Please tell me. Is… Drake alright?"

"He's… going through some rough times right now but that's not really my place to-" He cut my off, his eyes going wide and his elbows beginning to push him up into a sitting position. I'm sure that required a lot of effort on his part, considering he'd been in a coma for weeks.

"Did something bad happen while I was asleep?" he asked. "Did Adam leave Drake?" he growled, suddenly looking more like Drake's protective older brother than anything else. I put my hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him back into the mattress of his bed. He wasn't strong enough to just go run off through the palace to find Drake. I didn't even know if he was back from the pyramids yet. He may not be back for a while, or he might have been home already. Quite frankly, I had absolutely no clue and I could just let Tommy go searching for him in his condition.

"No, no… Nothing like that, Tommy. Adam didn't leave Drake. They're still very much together and in love," I told him. I hated that everyone assumed Adam was just going to throw Drake away now that I was back in his life. I didn't ever want that and I would never even considering letting Adam do that to his husband. "Adam's recently fallen ill and Drake has temporarily been made Pharaoh." I probably shouldn't have been telling him this, but I had a bit of a tendency to push boundaries and break a few rules. Nothing too drastic but…

His eyes went even wider, if that was possible. They were so round, they were actually starting to freak me out a little bit. "Oh Ra, did he fall ill with fever too?" he whimpered, staring up at me.

"No, he was… Well, he was poisoned at dinner a few nights ago," I told him, keeping my hands on his shoulders.

He gasped, trying to jerk up again to, potentially, spring off the bed and make a run for wherever Drake might be. "Let me up, please! I need to be with Drake! He needs me right now!" I cried, but his voice was so hoarse it actually hurt to listen to him.

"Tommy, Tommy, please try to relax. You've been in a coma from fever for weeks now and you really need to relax. You can't over excerpt yourself. I will go fetch Drake and bring him here so he can see you and you can be with him, alright?" I whispered, cupping his face gently in my hands. "I will go and find him for you, alright? Just try to relax."

Tommy sighed but he nodded, probably knowing, deep down, that I was right. His condition wouldn't allow for him to run around then palace like he normally did. It would be best for everyone if I went to find Drake so I could take him back to Tommy. "Alright, fine. If I wasn't so tired, I wouldn't be laying here though…" he mumbled, sounding extremely displeased with the fact that he couldn't go to be with Drake himself.

"I know, Tommy, I'm sorry…" I told him, rubbing his cheek gently. "I will bring Drake to you just as soon as I can find him, alright?" He sighed, nodding again, but his eyes weren't looking at me anymore.

I sighed and began to push myself out of the bed. But when I turned to the door, it was open, and Drake was standing in the door way, wide eyes. "What's… going on?" he mumbled, his blue eyes swimming with pain and anguish. Oh Ra… Drake…

"I was just… He just… And I was just…" I rambled, but it made no sense. I was sure Drake didn't care for my explanations anyway. He was shocked to see Tommy awake and even more so to see me with his best friend and kind-of lover. He rushed over to the bed and put a hand on the blond's cheek, cupping it delicately.

"Tommy…" he whispered, his blue eyes filling with tears that looked just as blue as his irises. I bit my lip and quietly made my way out of the room, leaving them to their moment. I did not wish to intrude anymore than I already had.


	92. Chapter 92

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Outstretched Arms, Open Hearts**

 **Drake's POV**

After several long, arduous hours of looking over blueprints and sketches of pyramids and their inner workings, I finally found myself practically crawling back into the palace with the guards at my heels. And while I did not exactly favor being out by the pyramids by myself— I'd always imagined going to visit and tour them with Adam— I did not find them to be as unbearable as I'd originally imagined.

Hiei had been right. The pyramids, themselves, were really just sculptures. Massive ones, at that. Sculptures with elaborate rooms and passageways. I found it to be intriguing and, even, a little relaxing to be back in a familiar element, talking with the architect about what to change in this pyramid, what to add in that pyramid. It was difficult work, and each took massive amounts of time to go over, but it was okay.

The architect and I must've gone through fifteen or twenty in progress or planned pyramids before calling it a night. The sun was dipping below the western horizon and I knew that I would either be just arriving for dinner or I would be missing it by now. But part of me simply didn't care. I wasn't hungry despite all of the work I'd done today, and I knew that I should've been, but… I just wasn't.

It had to have been the stress of Adam being poisoned and Tommy still being sick. On top of all of that was the bond that I shared with Alex. The night that he held me against his chest, holding me in his arms and just letting me cry.. Something happened between us that I couldn't explain and, to be honest, it scared me. I wasn't sure _why_ it scared me, though. It just did.

I waved the guards off, letting them go about their own business as I crossed through the throne room, taking a glance over at the massive seat that Adam usually sat in when he dealt with Pharaoh-y affairs. I sighed softly, my heart aching in my chest as I turned away from it, walking through the massive doors at the end and down the hallway.

I hadn't been able to see Adam at all today and I could only hope that he was doing better than before. I never imagined just how lonely and painful it was without him being around. Don't get me wrong, that time, three years ago, when I ran away, was perhaps the most painful experience of my life, but this was different. I knew Adam was healthy then. I knew he was, somewhat, okay. With this, with him being poisoned, I wasn't so sure. I could only go by what the doctor told us, and I wasn't sure how long I could believe the word of a medical man.

I was, by no means, calling the doctor out for being a charlatan, never. I knew that he was a well practiced individual. But Adam was my husband. My lover. I wasn't sure that I would be able to handle him telling me the same things he told me about Tommy; stable but not showing any signs of recovery…

Tommy… I felt a crack in my heart form as tears sprung in my eyes. He'd been in a coma for so long… Sometimes I forgot he was still even here at all. I hated myself for thinking such a thing about my best friend and kind-of-lover… I hated it. But it was true. Tommy had been asleep for almost a month or so, now. As much as I didn't want to really believe it, I'd begun to forget him…

' _Tommy… I'm so sorry…_ ' I thought to myself, changing in my direction. I was going to go spend some time with Adam or, maybe, go and find myself a bite to eat from the kitchen. But in thinking about Tommy, I realized just how long I'd been away from him. I hadn't gone to see him since before Alex showed up. I hadn't had the time. I'd forgotten…

I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to force the tears back as I rounded the corner, walking quickly down the hallway towards Tommy's room. I was a horrible friend for abandoning him to his sickness. To suffer alone while I became Pharaoh of Egypt. But it wasn't like I wanted this. I didn't want any of this. I wanted Tommy and Adam to be better, and for Adam to resume his position as Pharaoh. I wanted things to be normal again. I wanted things to be better…

Sighing heavily, I reached Tommy's door, forcing the tears back as best I could, though, knowing it was futile. I knew.. I knew that I was going to go through the door, find no change in him and cry over him, begging him to come back to me. Begging him to wake up because I simply couldn't take it anymore. The two people I loved and cherished most in my life here were at risk of death…

Pushing open the door, I was greeted with a sight much different than what I'd ever imagined.

First, Alex was in the room, sitting down on the edge of Tommy's bed, his hands gently cupping Tommy's face, his thumbs caressing the blond's cheeks. I frowned, staring hard at him. Why was Alex here? Alex might've been Adam's old lover, but he was, in no way, connected to Tommy, so _why was he here_? Why was he _touching_ Tommy?

Second, Tommy's eyes were wide open, staring up at Alex. He was awake. His face wasn't so pale anymore; there was color in his cheeks and life in his eyes. Life that I hadn't seen in so long. Life that was not focused in my direction, but in the direction of Alex, who was _touching_ Tommy when _I_ should have been…

Alex stood from the bed, letting go of Tommy before turning my direction. His eyes went wide and he froze on the spot. I was aware of my mouth moving, but I wasn't really paying attention to what I'd said, nor was I paying attention to Alex trying to explain to me what had happened. My focus had drifted to the blond, who's wide and beautiful chocolate eyes were locked with mine.

"Tommy…" I whispered, walking over to him. I reached out, cupping his face into my hand, caressing his cheek delicately with my fingers. The tears that I'd tried so hard to hold back were spilling freely as I sat down on the edge of his bed. I heard Alex shuffle quietly from the room, closing the door behind him as he left, leaving me and Tommy in silence together.

Tommy's eyes lifted, staying with mine the entire time. My hand was trembling against his cheek and I whimpered softly, staring at him. His eyes were just the same as the last time that I'd seen them. Bright. Beautiful. Compassionate and loving and all Tommy… Tommy…

"Drake," he said, leaning into my touch before bringing a hand up to cover my own. I whimpered, tears falling from my eyes down onto his blanketed chest, staining the fabric lightly. He whined quietly, brushing the tears from my face with the pads of his fingertips. "Baby, no… Don't cry, please… Please, don't," he whispered. I inhaled slowly, swallowing the lump of relief from my throat as I blinked once.

"I can't believe you're awake… Tommy, I… I was so scared," I told him, tears falling rapidly down my cheeks like miniature waterfalls. Crying was so not a beautiful thing, but I couldn't find it within myself to care that I was crying. Tommy shook his head, smiling softly at me as he brushed more tears away.

"I told you.. I told you I would be fine, love. That I was going to be okay. I'm here, I'm fine," Tommy said gently, smiling at me. Tears were filling his own eyes, threatening to spill and I shook my head, taking one of his hands in mine, lacing our fingers together tightly. My heart was clenching and unclenching in my chest and I was sure that it was going to overwork itself and fail.

"You didn't wake… You wouldn't respond and.. I.. I stopped believing you.. you would…" I bit down on my lip, trembling lightly as I squeezed Tommy's hand as tightly as I could. I really, really didn't want to cry in front of him but, at this rate, it looked like it was all together possible. I was shaking with the beginnings of sobs and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Drake, no.. I'm _fine_. I'm _alive_. I'm here, baby," he repeated, squeezing my hand back as much as he could with the strength that he had. I inhaled through my nose, swallowing back sobs.

"Everything's just been falling apart, Tommy… Adam's sick, Alex is alive, I'm temporarily Pharaoh and I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing.. Everything about my life has been a lie and… I just.. I needed you," I whispered, my voice quivering lightly. Tommy slowly pulled himself up, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I cried out, wrapping my arms around his neck as I buried my face into his shoulder, weeping.

"I'm here now, and you're going to be okay. We can make it through this, Drake. Adam's going to be fine," he whispered in my ear. I just shook my head, tears flowing down my face and into his shirt.

"I thought you would never wake up, Tommy… For so long, I.. I thought I'd never see you.." I mumbled into his shoulder, and Tommy's arms tightened around me further, his hands rubbing my back soothingly. He tried to calm me as best as he could, but his words and his touches only made me cry harder.

How many nights and days had I begged the Gods to give Tommy back to me? How many painful moments had I been through where I wanted nothing more than to crawl into Tommy's bed and feel his arms wrap themselves around me as they were now? To feel him press kisses to my skin and my hair and tell me that he loved me and that everything was going to be okay?

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, Drake," Tommy muttered into my ear, pulling me close. I was shaking like a leaf in his arms. _His_ arms. Arms that I missed and cherished and loved as dearly as I loved Adam's arms.

"I— I wanted to be the one to be with you when you woke," I admitted, feeling a pang of jealousy for Alex. He witnessed the waking of my best friend. That was something I'd wanted so dearly and now I would never have. I wanted Tommy to see me, first, when he opened his eyes. I wanted to be the one he first saw…

"Drake," Tommy said, pulling away from me enough to brush the tears from my eyes before he leaned forward, catching my lips in a gentle kiss. I moaned softly, tangling my fingers into Tommy's overgrown and silky hair, pulling as his tongue slid between my teeth. He kissed me hard and he kissed me long, so long that when we pulled away we were panting for air before kissing again.

I'd missed this. I'd missed the feel of Tommy's lips on mine, his arms around me, his body against mine. I'd missed him more than I'd ever imagined. And to have him back was like having a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. There was still the weight of Alex and Adam, but my load was lighter and I was feeling so much better.

Mine and Tommy's tongues battled and meshed for several moments, slipping back and forth between our mouths. Needless to say, our kissing left me excited, something I hadn't felt in an incredibly long time. Part of me felt shameful that I was kissing and wanting my best friend while my husband lay healing from a recent poisoning in another room of the palace, but… Adam knew of mine and Tommy's relationship, and he was okay with it… As long as Tommy and I didn't fuck behind his back, he was okay with it…

"I've missed you," I whispered into his lips. Tommy's hands cupped my face tenderly, our lips brushing and dragging across one another as we spoke. One of my hands was tangled in his hair, the other curled around the back of his neck.

"I've missed you, too, Drake. So much," he said, moaning quietly as we kissed again. His fingers were barely trailing against my skin, but my nerves were going haywire and it felt like ice against my burning flesh.

"Tommy…" I moaned, kissing him gently, "Baby.. Come bathe with me.. Like old times?" I pleaded. Tommy groaned, kissing me hard for a moment. I groaned, sucking roughly on his tongue, which forced the blond to arch into me, clenching me tightly before pulling away, breathing hard.

"Of course, love," my heart skipped a beat and I moaned, "Of course,"


	93. Chapter 93

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: You Won't Be Scared and Lonely, You Won't Be!  
Tommy's POV**

Getting out of the bed and into the bathroom was not an easy task. Thank Ra Drake was there to support me as we walked, because if he wasn't, I never would have gotten out of the room. I hadn't been up an walking around for a month now and my muscles weren't used to the strain of holding up my body.

Drake kept mumbling about how much he missed me and how things had been falling apart without me here. To be honest, he was repeating himself a lot and I stopped paying attention to exactly what he was saying. Instead, I found myself hypnotized by his beautiful red hair swishing around his face as he moved. The A-line cropped cut was even more gorgeous than it had been in that dream I had of Drake, right before his wedding.

It might have been the red that made it that much more sexy. My breath was lodged in my throat and I wasn't really able to breathe right. Watching him moving was just breathtaking. Even more so than it had been before I slipped into a coma. Drake was just too beautiful and now he was that much more sexy. I found myself wondering if Drake truly was a God. I was beginning to believe that it was all together possible. What human was so beautiful and elegant, even in times of extreme hardship?

"I… really missed taking baths with you," Drake whispered as he pulled away from me. I was sitting on the edge of the filling tub and Drake was a few feet away from me, his back turned to me. He was stripping out of the clothing that simply accented his natural beauty. I was gnawing on my bottom lip, trying not to stare at his naked ass, but it was a hard feat, especially when he bent over to split his shorts completely off. Nice flashbacks from previous dreams involving Drake and myself were painting themselves in front of my eyes and I was beginning to ache hard between the legs.

Drake glanced over his shoulder at me, a light blush flaming across his kind of pale cheeks. "Tommy, stop staring at me and strip," he said, turning to face me. I bit my lip hard, staring at his full erection.

"I'm sorry, love," I told him, blushing softly. I'd been so caught up in watching Drake strip, I'd forgotten to strip myself. He walked back over to me and I grabbed his wrists, pulling him down into a rough, dirty kiss. He gasped into my mouth, moaning loudly, but I broke the kiss before we got too into it. "This red," I started, moving my hand up into his hair. "Is beautiful on you. I think it fits better than the chocolate ever did."

A nice, bright blush rushed across his face. "Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" he whispered, pawing at the light- and really fucking gross- shirt I was wearing. He pulled the fabric up and over my head. I raised my arms to let him take it off.

"Because it suits your spunky personality, I suppose," I responded, lifting my hips off of the floor so he could pull my shorts off. "Fuck, I am in really fucking desperate need of a bath. I feel disgusting,"

Drake laughed softly. "I'll take care of that for you, Baby," he said and he nudged me right into the bath. I bobbed back up to the top and laughed, reaching up to grab his wrist and pull him in as well.

"I'm counting on it, Love," I told him, sitting on a built in bench on the edge of massive tub. "By the way… I'm really shocked you cut your hair and dyed it because I had a dream where you had this exact hair and you were… Well…" I blushed, wrapping my arms around Drake and pulling him close. He was facing me and he picked up a bar of soap, dipping it into the water to lather it up.

"You dream about me?" he asked, that nice blush never leaving his cheeks.

"Yes…" I admitted, arching into his touch as he began dragging the soap over my neck, shoulders and chest. I shivered, groaning softly and he chuckled, straddling my hips. "Probably more than I really should dream about the Pharaoh's husband."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. Most people couldn't independently move their eyebrows, but Drake could and it always made me giggle some. "You are… such a perv, aren't you?" Drake asked, rubbing all of the dirt and old sweat from my skin. I hadn't really been able to bathe since I'd fallen into a coma and I supposed sponge bathing could only go so far… "And what kind of dreams do you have about me, Thomas? Naughty ones, I image?"

I blushed deeply, looking away from him, but his artist fingers met my groin and I gasped, pushing my hips forward into his hands. He chuckled softly, cleaning my inner thighs with the soap before dragging his fingers back up. "Well… You…" I blushed, biting down on my bottom lip to suppress a rather loud moan that wanted to escape. "You came to my room, wearing close to nothing and you were… begging me to take you," I told him, gasping.

"Oh? Really now?" he asked, his fingers expertly cleaning every inch of my body. He wanted to get me clean before we decided to do anything sexual, that much was obvious, but he kept rubbing against me teasingly with his hips, thighs and his own erection. Fucking little tease. "Well," he mumbled, setting the soap down after several long moments of agonizing torture. He kissed my lips gently and then my neck. "I think you should tell me more about said dream…"

He set the bar of soap outside of the tub and bit into my neck, grinding his hips into mine. I gasped loudly, bringing my hips up to meet his and twisting my head to expose more of my neck to him. He moaned into my skin, licking at the bit he'd left in my flesh. "Drake…" I whined softly, tangling my fingers into his hair and pulling hard. "Baby…

"Tell me about it," he said, nipping the other side of my neck rather harshly. I cried out, pushing my hips up into his backside, grinding against him. He let out a beautiful, horny cry, his eyes slipping shut and his lips parted in ecstasy. "Fuck! Tommy…" he whined, grinding hard against my shaft.

"You were so beautiful Drake… You were… practically begging me to fuck you. You were wearing a… a thong and you got up on your knees, begging me and I couldn't resist you…" I whispered into Drake's ear, nibbling on his earlobe. He moaned, whining softly.

"Tommy… Tommy, please!" he whined, running his wet fingers through my hair. I growled at him, reaching down to stroke his erection under the water. He groaned, grinding hard into my hand, as if he were made to fuck it. "Fuck, baby…" he whined, throwing his head back to expose a highway of neck that I needed to mark. When Adam woke up, and I was certain he would wake up, he might want to kill me for marking his husband, but he'll get over it. I needed Drake right now…

I leaned up, licking Drake's throat, tasting a touch of vanilla among his natural flavor. He still tasted the same as I remembered and I moaned loudly into his neck, sinking my teeth into the sensitive flesh. Drake whined, tugging on my hair. I pumped his erecting hard, letting my thumb sweep over the slit every now and then again. He was moaning like a bitch in heat and I wondered just how long it had been since he and Adam had made love. From the little information I'd gathered from Alexander (and seeing him here was mind blowing enough, since he was supposed to be dead) and then the little bits I got from Drake before he just broke down crying, I figured things had been constantly bad since I'd been asleep. Drake and Adam probably didn't really have the energy to get it on and then Adam was… poisoned…

Fucking Ra.

"T-Tommy…" Drake groaned, gasping loudly. "Fuck, Tommy please! Please!" he cried, tugging harshly on my hair. I growled at him, picking up my pace on his member. He was close, I could tell by the desperation in his voice and the ragged edge in his breathing. I dropped the hand I had tangled in his hair, trailing it down his back. I rubbed his ass cheeks gently before running a finger over his entrance.

Drake's eyes went wide, crying out and dropping his head onto my shoulder. "Baby…" I whined softly, rubbing his entrance gently with my index finger. I never let up on his erection, but I loved the wails of pleasure that I got from teasing his ass. I slowly slipped one finger into him and then another. He whined loudly, bucking forward into my grasp.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Drake cried into my shoulder. My fingers brushed that spot deep within him and he cried out, thrusting hard into my hand before he came into the water. "Fucking Hell, Tommy…" he breathed into my skin, pushing away from me gently. He pushed one of his knees between my thighs, nudging my still hard erection.

"Ra! Fuck, Drake please!" I whined, holding him close. I needed my release before I exploded from electrified nerve ending. "Drake…"

"Tell me what you want, Baby," he whispered into my ear, rubbing my dick with his thigh.

"Fuck, Drake, please just touch me!" I growled, pushing my hips into his thigh and grinding shamelessly into him. "Please!" He chuckled softly, dropping his hands to my length, stroking it gently. I whined, grinding into his hand for friction I so desperately needed. I was begging to throb with pain.

"You're so horny, Tommy…" Drake whispered, dipping his tongue into the shell of my ear. I groaned quietly, thrusting into Drake's hands as if I were fucking his thigh hole instead. Ra, I wanted to, but I knew I couldn't do that. That was going a little too fair, considering Drake _was_ married to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Fucking Drake without Adam's permission was a huge no, no.

"Fuck…" we hissed together. Drake's hands tightened around me, pumping me swiftly. He let his thumbs sweep over my slit several times a minutes and I simply couldn't take it anymore. I tossed my head back, crying out as I shoved my hips forward, my erection prodding between Drake's thighs just as I came. Drake moaned loudly, gripping my shoulders tightly.

"Oh Ra…" Drake moaned, squeezing his thighs together. "I fucking missed you, baby…" he muttered, kissing my lips gently. I moaned into his mouth, deepening the kiss as much as I possibly could. We were wrapped in each other for what felt like hours. I washed Drake off, cleaning him, and then we fooled around some more. From what I could see from the window across the room, the sun had gone down and it was getting late, but we simply didn't care.

Drake and I had been apart for a month and we were used to being together every day. We had far too much time to make up and we weren't going to waste any of it. We got frisky sometimes or we just kissed and lazily cleaned each other off. It really didn't matter, considering we were just together and I was awake, alive and able to comfort Drake when he needed it.

He told me, in between our episodes of touching and exploring each other's bodies, that his brother told him Anna's death was his fault and that he shouldn't have been born. He told me his mother told him that he wasn't really his father's child and he told me about all of the fights and hatred he shared with Alex before that night when Alex just held him and everything changed.

It was a lot to take in but I couldn't say that I was upset by him sharing all of this with me. In fact, I was ecstatic that he did because it meant that I still mattered to him, that I was still an important part of his life…


	94. Chapter 94

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: If I Let Myself Go, I'm The Only One To Blame**

 **Cassidy's POV**

Two days had passed since Alexander and Drake had caught Hiei and me lip-locked in a passionate kiss. Two days and Hiei and I had spent all of our available time together, whether in my room, in my studio or in the gardens— Hiei had a fondness for them, the gardens. He found them comforting, calming, especially in the midst of early morning or early evening— dawn and twilight.

In those two days, strange and miraculous things had occurred. Alexander and Drake seemed to get along a little more, Tommy woke up from his coma, and Hiei and I had gotten even closer. Could I say that we were a couple yet? No. We weren't. There were too many unspoken things between us that, if left unspoken, would eventually divide us. But if voiced and moved from there, I could only hope that we would be okay in the end.

But even in all the wonders, Adam still had not woken from his own slumber. His body was still trying to rid itself of the poisons and he'd not so much as stirred in the days since his attempted murder. No one had been caught for the crime, either. None of the cooks or serving boys could trace back to whoever might've slipped the substances into the Pharaoh's food.

It was stressing enough having the true Pharaoh of Egypt ill to the point he was incapable of doing his job, but Drake didn't have the confidence to be Pharaoh. It was plain to see that he had a hard enough time being the Pharaoh's Husband, but to suddenly be the Pharaoh, himself? Most days, I wanted to pull the boy into my arms and tell him that he was going to be okay, but I rarely saw him.

I let out a breath, shaking my head as I tilted my head back against the padding of the armchair that I sat in. One leg was tucked beneath me, the other draped over the right arm with my sketchbook in my lap. Today was one of the rare days that I spent with Hiei in my studio. Hiei, himself, was curled up on the cushioned ledge of the bay window, deeply asleep, with one arm tucked under his head, the other draped over his stomach. He was wearing a simple pair of white trousers that ended around his knees and a white shirt that was hanging off of his shoulders slightly.

I smiled at him before glancing down at the sketch before me. It was of Hiei in his sleeping position, with his hair neatly pushed away from his face to expose his beauty. By no means was Hiei innocent in consciousness, but in sleep, like this, he looked angelic. Unmarred by troubles and fears and torment. Utterly beautiful and at peace with the world around him.

I wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, and as the sun was sinking below the western horizon, I found myself not caring, really, in the least. He was beautiful in every way. But I found myself letting out a pained sigh as I set my sketchbook aside on a small side table next to my chair, standing from the cushion before stretching some, feeling my joint popping back into place.

No matter how beautiful I found Hiei, I wasn't sure if we were meant to be… I wanted it, and him, dearly… More than I'd ever wanted Brad… But what if he didn't feel the same? What if he never felt the same and this was all a one-sided romance of sorts? I knew I'd had these kinds of thoughts before and I always tried to reason with myself, but I was never sure.

I wanted to talk to him about the possibility of an "us", but I didn't know when he would wake and, if he were to wake, I wasn't sure how I would even begin to start the topic. To be honest, the idea of being in a relationship terrified me… After the façade Brad had with me—

' _Are you sure it was a façade? He seemed like the lover you used to know— compassionate and loving— when you took him to his death three years ago,_ ' I grimaced softly, glancing at Hiei before sliding my feet into my sandals, strapping them on around my ankles. Brad had been a liar, a cheater and a traitor to all of Egypt. To Adam. To _me_. There was nothing compassionate about that son of a bitch.

' _But you loved him. You still do,_ ' no. No I don't. I don't love him anymore. Not after hearing about what he did to Drake. I couldn't love him after that… ' _You dream about him on occasion. You dream about him and Hiei. Not at the same time, no. Separately, of course. But you still dream about him_ ,'

I inhaled shakily, glancing back at Hiei, seeing that he hadn't moved from his position. I wanted to wake him up and have him take a walk with me, but part of me said that I needed to take this walk alone, and that I could come back for him later. I bit down on my bottom lip, fighting the tears as I crossed to the door, pulling it open quickly before stepping out of my studio, shutting it gently behind me.

I hurried through a back hallway, cutting across part of the palace to reach the gardens as quickly as possible, the tears stinging my eyes as I fought to get away from where Hiei was sleeping, oblivious to my aching heart. I wanted so badly to love him, and yet I couldn't let go of the one man who'd caused so much hurt and hate… I couldn't let go of the one man I'd wanted more than anything in this life…

In no time, it seemed, I was outside amongst the flowers and the trees, passing them by without a second glance to steal away their beauty. All I could see were the endless hours I would spend with Brad, walking amongst these trees and flowers, hand in hand like we were the last people on Earth. Suddenly, I found myself regretting my choice to come here. But it would've been inevitable; no matter where I went, I would always see Brad there…

I couldn't stop them; the tears flowed relentlessly like the Nile. I choked on a quiet sob as I rushed passed the center piece fountain where Adam and Drake were married— the fountain I wanted to marry Brad next to. My sandals slapped the stone pathway as I passed shrubberies, trees, flower pots and statues, each sob wracking my body harder and harder until I tripped and collapsed next to a stone bench that was resting beneath a large willow tree.

I clung to the bench, weeping softly. I wanted so badly to love Hiei the way I loved Brad, but I felt like a traitor to Brad for caring so passionately about Hiei. I couldn't understand why, though. Brad had been the traitor. Brad been the one to hurt and cheat and lie, and I shouldn't have felt so horrible for caring about someone else. He'd been dead for three years. I attended his fucking execution! Why was this happening now?

Darkness began to fall before I heard the soft patter of footsteps, followed by Hiei's soft, boyish voice, "Cass?" He called out, and I lifted my head slowly, the tears long since dried and leaving their tracks on my face. He frowned in my direction before coming closer and kneeling beside me, "Cassidy, what's wrong?"

I bit down on my bottom lip, looking away from him before speaking, "Nothing, Hiei. I am fine," I lied, mentally grimacing. I didn't like lying. In fact, I hated it. I hated it more than anything else because I wasn't just lying to Hiei, but I was lying to myself, too. I wasn't fine, but I had to try, right? I had to pretend to be the adviser that was always calm and cool and able to anything and everything needed… I had to…

"Cassidy…" Hiei whispered, trailing his fingers against my cheeks, but I still did not look at him. "Cassidy, look at me," it didn't sound like a command, but it was worded as such, and I wasn't sure if I should obey or not. Part of me said no, because Hiei was of lower status than I. Part of me said yes, because I cared for him…

I listened, and lifted my head slowly, looking up at him and into his eyes, which were soft and concerned. I bit down on my lip again, trembling slightly in his hands before looking away again. Hiei sighed softly, pulling me close to him in a tight hug with his arms wrapped around my shoulders. My head rested itself against his left shoulder, close to his neck as I whimpered softly.

Hiei rubbed my back gently as I clung to him, quivering with tears that refused to fall in their numbers like before. Why was I so adamant to hold them back when I was with him? Was my subconscious wanting to stay strong when all I, really, wanted was to cry? "Cassidy, what's wrong? Please, please, talk to me," he murmured in my ear, running fingers through my hair.

"I'm afraid, Hiei," I admitted without meaning to. I'd wanted to be honest with him, right? Might as well start now…

"About what?" He asked, continuing to stroke my hair gently, his voice soft in my ear. I inhaled slowly, fisting my hands into his shirt.

"Everything… I'm afraid that I'll mess something up and I'll hurt you.. I'm afraid because.." I trailed off, whimpering softly as my throat closed up for a moment, holding back the words that my heart was trying to force from my lips.

"Because?" Hiei inquired.

"Because I want to love you like you deserve, but I'm afraid of getting hurt! I'm afraid of being betrayed because I've been there before! I've been so deep in love that I was blinded by it, and I was hurt, and I don't want to go through that again, but.. I want to _love_ you.. I want to _be_ loved by _you_ and I'm—" Hiei cut me off by lifting my head and kissing me hard, his hands pulling themselves from my hair to cup my face. I whimpered into his lips, tears streaming down my face as I kissed him back.

I'd never felt so weak with someone else before. Not with Adam. Not with Brad, even. Brad made me feel strong and sure and Hiei just made me weak and vulnerable, but it wasn't in a bad way. It was vulnerable, in a sense, that we didn't have to spend years and years together to know everything about each other. Ra, look at us, knowing each other not even a month and being as close as we were…

Hiei kept kissing me for several moments before pulling away, resting his forehead against mine, breathing hard. My hands were trembling as I held tight to his shirt, and he dragged a kiss against my jaw and my cheek before trailing his lips over mine in a light kiss. I moaned softly, leaning forward to kiss him properly for a moment before pulling away.

"You're afraid because of your old lover. Is that right?" He asked with a calm voice, and I nodded once. "What did he do, if you don't mind my asking?" I inhaled slowly.

"He was a traitor to Our Pharaoh… He abused and violated Drake on multiple occasions and murdered one of Drake's siblings… I know not of anything else he's done, though, I'm sure, those aren't the _only_ things…" I whispered to him, shaking with the memory of the rage that I felt when I heard of what Brad had done.

Hiei was silent for a moment as he held me, but that moment did not last long, "You say you're afraid of hurting me…" he lifted my head, meeting my eyes. His were gleaming in the moonlight, shining with such a light that my heart melted, "But you could never hurt me, Cassidy. Only my father has ever hurt me, and, as long as I'm here and with you, he can't reach me. He can't find me," he muttered, kissing me again. I moaned quietly into his lips, loosening my hold on his shirt.

"What happened?" I asked, again, without meaning to. Hiei swallowed once, but spoke anyway, even with the clipped and hard edge to his voice.

"When my mother died, my father, essentially, hated me. He would blame me for my mother's death most every day, saying, that, if I hadn't been born she would still be alive… If I hadn't killed her, we would be better off… After seventeen years of verbal and, sometimes, physical abuse, he woke me up and pulled me before the man that he had sold me to," Hiei shook gently, his voice growing weak and I felt my heart begin to break, "he sold me off to bed with a complete stranger because he was desperate for money…"

Suddenly, all of my fears were insignificant to Hiei's. All of my worries were nothing because I'd always lived an easier life. I'd never had worries like that. Though, in hearing his story, I found resemblance to Drake's. While Hiei was sold, Drake was taken because of money issues to become a pleasure servant. But, at least, with Drake, he was given the option. He was given to the opportunity to wait… Hiei had no option…

Our roles were seemingly reversed, and I found myself holding Hiei, tightly, to my chest. Though, unlike me, Hiei did not weep. He merely clung to me, shaking and breathing heavily, like he was trying to hold back his tears. I ran fingers through his hair, pulling him close to me until he stopped shaking and his breathing returned to normal.

"I am sorry," I told him, kissing his hair.

"Don't be, Cassidy. You've done nothing wrong," Hiei muttered to me. I sighed softly, pressing another kiss into his hair. "Just… Please… If you, really, want to love me like you say you do, don't do what my father did to me…" He pleaded and I felt my heart, truly, break.

"Never… I would never," I told him, kissing him again.


	95. Chapter 95

**Chapter Forty: Cause I See You Lying Next to Me, With Words I Thought I'd Never Say  
Alexander's POV**

It had been a few days since Tommy first woke up and, when Drake wasn't off doing Pharaoh-y things or taking care of Adam (which, as his husband, he felt it was his job to take care of him), he and Tommy were joined at the hip. They did everything together. Drake even moved to sit with him at the dinner table instead of sitting in his respected spot at the head of the table. Not that I could really blame him. Adam was supposed to be sitting with him, not… in a bed, fighting death.

Since Tommy had woken up, I'd been a little lonely. Hiei and Cassidy spent all their time with each other and/or Drake. Tommy spent all of his time with Drake or Adam and Drake himself? Well, he was temporarily the Pharaoh of Egypt. You tell me what he was doing most of the time. When he wasn't being Pharaoh, as I've stated, he was with Adam or Tommy. They were his top priorities, not that I was bitter or anything. I understood his position fully. Adam was his husband. Tommy was his best friend and kind-of lover. Probably two of the most important people in his life.

Today I decided to spend my afternoon in the gardens, do some freshening up and take care of the plants. Since Adam's attempted murder, nobody was really worried about what the gardens looked like, but I had nothing better to do, right? Besides, I know Adam would be upset if he woke up and his beautiful garden looked anything less than perfect.

I'd started on the East side, working my way towards the West, but I didn't get very far before walking right into the blond Drake was so fond of. My hand shot up to cover my mouth and nose. "Oh Ra… I'm so sorry," I muttered, staring at Tommy who had a similar expression on his face. I'd never expected to run into someone out here, especially not Tommy. He'd been a nice accessory to Drake for the last few days. I jumped on board the train of Tommy's-still-with-Drake, I supposed.

"No, no… My fault. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going, I just didn't expect many people to be out here. What with everyone looking for whoever hurt Adam and trying to keep Drake safe," he said, cracking a small, perfect smile. He, as I had noticed many times before, had full, plump lips. Something that I was sure every girl who saw him was jealous of. For half a second, I wondered what kissing those lips would be like, but then I remembered who I was standing with. This was Tommy, a boy who, by mark, was owned by the Pharaoh and by love, was owned by Drake. It was easy enough to see how much Tommy loved the new king, but it was also just as easy to see that Drake loved him too.

He just loved Adam that much more…

"Yeah, I know what you mean… I came out here to freshen up the gardens a little, you know? Since everything that's been happening, nobody has really been worried about the life out here," I said, sitting down on the edge of one of several small fountains littered throughout the garden. The one in the center, where Adam had married Drake, was definitely the biggest. The rest were very small scale. The fountain built for Anna, which was still rather small, was the next largest from what I had seen.

"Yeah but Adam would be more upset about us not taking care of it than being poisoned. He loves this place…" Tommy said. It wasn't until then that I noticed he was putting flowers into several vases. "I thought I'd come out here and pick some of the over grown flowers. The palace could use a little cheering up." He set brilliant red roses into a cream colored glass vase before pushing himself up onto the fountain with me.

"I can agree there," I told him, looking over at him. Since he'd woken up, his normal color had returned to his skin. He'd re-bleached his hair, so it was all a brilliant blond again, instead of faded blond with brown roots. His chocolate eyes were surrounded by a soft green eye shadow with a slightly darker shade liner. His clothing was simple, white shorts that formed to him nicely, stopping several inches above the knees, and a white vest with gold detailing left open in the front.

Honestly, I couldn't blame Drake for loving this boy. I couldn't blame Adam for using this boy to suit his pleasure needs. He was far too beautiful to pass up. I'd say, in his own right, that he was just as beautiful as Drake. He probably turned just as many heads… "But I kind of expected you to be with Drake today. You two have been like Siamese twins since you woke up from your coma."

A nice, rich blush painted itself across Tommy's face. "Well… When Drake kept crying, saying how scared he was, I found it really hard to leave him for any amount of time," he explained, though I knew it wasn't one sided. Tommy wanted to be with Drake just as much as Drake wanted to be with Tommy. "But he had some really important court thing to go to today. Cassidy said he had to go and he couldn't take anyone because it was official Pharaoh business. You should have seen the look on that poor boy's face. He hates being Pharaoh…"

"I know…" I whispered, frowning just a little. "I think that if he had known he would become Pharaoh in times like this, it would have been an easier transition, but apparently nobody told him Adam gave him all of his power and possessions in his will. He was kind of just shoved into the role without, really, being prepared for it…" I looked across the gardens, staring at nothing in particular. I wondered just how many flowers Drake's beauty had been compared to, by Adam as well as everyone else. "But, whether he'll ever admit it or not, he is doing a fantastic job, considering he doesn't really have any idea what he's doing."

Tommy cracked a little grin, chuckling softly. "Yes, well, he thinks he's messing everything up. When Cassidy told him about the trial thing, which he has to act as judge for, he said 'Cass, if the guy is guilty, he's guilty. If you don't have evidence proving he's guilty of whatever the fuck he did, how the _fuck_ do you expect me to make a good decision on it?' Cassidy kind of just sat there, stunned at the logic for a while before saying something like 'well, you still have to do it. It's your duty.' That made Drake real happy," he explained, smiling a little.

"Well, at least Drake's logical and not letting his power go to his head," I said and we both laughed. Tiny, innocent (yet not so innocent) Drake being power hungry? That was just funny to even think about. He wasn't Brad.

"So…" Tommy said after a brief and somewhat awkward silence. "Drake tried explaining to me how exactly you aren't, you know, dead… But he didn't really have an answer. He's told me that you two didn't exactly see eye to eye for a while, so he didn't ever find out what happened ten years ago. If it's not too… pushy or out of place for me to ask, how are you alive? Adam always told us both how you died in his arms and how horrible it was for him. That's not just something you can fake."

I sighed deeply, looking over at him. "Brad," I said. "Brad didn't become so power hungry and demented over night. He was always like that…"

"Did Brad do something to you?" Tommy asked, his chocolate eyes going round. I wondered if he pieced it together yet… Drake might have suffered a lot due to what Brad had done to him, but he wasn't Brad's first victim.

"He… slipped me a drug that dropped my heart rate so low it made me appear dead," I told him. "He wanted to break apart Adam's rule and his Egypt by breaking his heart, but… obviously that didn't work. I do, however, believe that the drug he used on me was the same one that was slipped to you. I don't believe your coma was a natural one…"

"Well," Tommy started, glancing warily at me. "The boy who had been taking care of me… I don't remember his name now, came into my room and he was saying something about Drake. I can't, for the life of me, remember what he'd been saying, but… He definitely injected me with something that wasn't the medicine the doctor prescribed to me."

"Did you tell Drake? Or anyone?" I asked.

He sighed, shaking his head a little. "No… Not yet. I mean, I'm going to but with all the stress Drake is under? I didn't want to make anything worse. For all I know, it was just a new medicine that I had a bad reaction to, or something. I can't really prove that what he gave me was anything but orthodox."

"Do you really believe that, Tommy? With everything that has been happening around here?" I asked. It was a wonder that we weren't more afraid to be alone. I guess we all assumed that Drake was the next target, so, as long as he had protection and people with him at all times, things should be fine. We'd catch whoever had been doing this eventually. At least, we had to believe that we would. We weren't going to leave Drake alone until whoever this man was, was captured and placed in jail or sentenced for execution.

"Not really for a second, but…" he said, shrugging. "We'll figure it out, I'm sure."

I nodded my agreement, smiling softly at him. "So… how's it been being awake after being asleep for so long?" I asked.

He grinned again. "It feels like I've been reborn, as corky as that sounds. I just have so much energy, I don't even know what to do with myself half the time. Drake's helpful but I can't be with him all the time…" he said, his smile slipping a little. "Since he's not mine, but now he's also serving all of Egypt, he can only dedicate so much of his time to me. Everyone in Egypt wants a slice of his time."

"Or a slice of something else…" I mumbled. He blinked and our eyes met, before we both laughed softly.

"Yeah well, he does have that whole 'too sexy to realize it' thing going on," he said, laughing a little. "But nobody would have the guts to hit on him, seeing as he's the Pharaoh's husband."

"You hit on him," I commented and again, Tommy's cheeks flamed a brilliant crimson. "You do it a lot, actually," I teased, watching his cheeks grow even darker. It was mean of me, but I couldn't really help myself. Tommy seemed like such an easy and fun boy to taunt.

"Yes well, Adam used to ask us to have sex in front of him. I think I've earned my rights to flirt with and size him up," he told me and a little smirk broke out across his plump, girly lips, despite the fact that he still looked like and Egyptian lobster. "Besides, Drake may not pick up on this as much as I do, but I've seen you turn on the charm around him just as much as I do."

It was my turn to turn a nice shade of red, probably something to match Tommy's face. "I… I do _not_ flirt with Drake!" I exclaimed, although that was pretty much a lie. Maybe Drake didn't like me at first, but I'd always been fascinated with and just a little too protective of him.

"Yes you do. It's subtle, but it's there. Drake hasn't picked up on it, but you like him, don't you?" he asked and I glanced away from him.

"Can you blame me? Doesn't everyone who meets him fall for him in some shape or form of the term?" I asked, glancing back over at Tommy. He nodded a little.

"It's amazing, the influence he has on people and he doesn't even realize he has it," he commented. "The day Adam chose him out of all of the groups of boys brought in, I couldn't help but fall for him. Back then, he was adorable. Not to say that he isn't now, but back then he was completely pure and innocent. He didn't even know how to kiss," A little smile tugged at the blond's lips. Probably a fond memory of the first few weeks Drake had been living in the palace. "I couldn't help but fall for him and when he was first here, I knew Adam didn't really love him for him. He loved him because he looked and acted like you, so I grew rather protective of him as well."

"I can't exactly say I blame you…" I told him, frowning a little. "I understand completely, the fascination and attraction to him. It's other worldly…"

Tommy laughed softly, shaking his head so his bangs flipped out of his face. "I am honestly beginning to believe he's a God in disguise. There's really no other way to explain him. Especially with his new hair… He's just not human. He can't be." I laughed at that, shaking my head a little.

"Maybe he is from a different world, who knows? Until he admits to us what he is, we'll have to assume that he is human though," I said, looking over at Tommy. "How do you handle it, Tommy?" I asked after another short silence.

"Handle what?" he asked, looking back at me. His eyes were swimming with knowing. He knew exactly what I was talking about but he didn't exactly want to talk about it. I didn't blame him, but he needed to voice his thoughts to _someone_ and he obviously couldn't do that with Drake.

"You and I both know I'm talking about how you handle your love for Drake. You love him endlessly but he's married to Adam. How do handle seeing him with someone else?" I was asking, partly for Tommy's benefit, but partly for my own. I would never take Adam from Drake, but I was still in love with the Pharaoh. It sometimes hurt too much to see him married to someone else. "If it's too personal…"

Tommy just shook his head softly. "It's not too personal. It's not a secret that I love Drake. It's… really not always easy to see him with Adam all the time. It's actually really fucking hard, especially when I first found out they were getting married, but when it becomes too much, I just take a step back and look at Drake without putting me into the equation. He's happy and that's all I've ever wanted for him," he explained, looking over at me, his eyes piercing through mine. Suddenly, I felt naked and exposed to him, and not in a way that we would both find pleasant and arousing. "And I know that Drake loves me. He proves that to me all the time and I'm happy to have that. It's enough to keep me going and keep me happy enough, even if Drake isn't, truly, mine."

"It's hard regardless, isn't it?" I asked quietly.

Tommy sighed softly, his eyes falling to the water filling the fountain and he reached down, dragging his fingers through the moisture. "It is hard. Extremely hard, but I can't let him being with another man upset me too much. I love him and I want to see him happy. Being married to Adam, when things aren't crashing down around him, that is, makes him extremely happy. I can't ask for anything more," he said. "One day, I believe I'll find someone else I love just as much as Drake and I'll have the relationship I've been yearning for. Until I find that person, I'll be content with the love Drake does give me."

"That's very mature of you…" I said, watching his hand swirl in the crystal blue water.

"Yes well, I may not look like it, but I'm twenty-eight and I'm very mature," he said, smirking a little. I could tell that our serious conversation was over, which was really fine with me. Tommy and I didn't know each other very well yet, this was just the beginning. A little bit of seriousness thrown into our joking was exactly what we needed to start a great friendship.

"So I've heard," I replied, smirking back at him. "You'd have to be _very mature_ if Adam kept you around all these years." He laughed and scooped some water into his hand, tossing it out of the fountain and at me. "Oh, hey now!" I exclaimed, cupping both of my hands in the water to toss at him.

By the time we were actually going back into the palace for dinner, we were both soaking wet.


	96. Chapter 96

**Chapter Forty-One: But I Want More, No, I Won't Stop**

 **Drake's POV**

It was a strange sight to see when Tommy and Alex came barreling into the dining hall, both of them soaking wet and laughing like they were adolescent teenagers instead of grown, mature men. But, at the same time, it was refreshing to see them in a playful mood, laughing their heads off with water dripping from the ends of their hair. The sight made me smile and shake my head.

Lately, it felt like the world was crashing down on me. Adam still hadn't woken up from recovering from the poison and I was damned sure I was ruining his Egypt by trying to fill in his shoes. Cassidy told me, day in and day out, that I was doing fine. That I was managing well enough for Egypt, but I just didn't believe it. Adam was the Pharaoh— he was Egypt, itself. I felt like an imposter, trying to fill in for him. Like I was ruining what he'd spent his entire life creating…

In addition to Adam not waking up, I missed him like no other. I missed seeing him smile, hearing him laugh and tell me that he loved me. I missed falling asleep in his arms and kissing him and loving him like I always had. I missed him to the point that I would curl up, alone, in our bed and I would cry and cry for hours, drinking in his scent. I would dream of him wrapping his arms around me, holding me and kissing me. I would dream of him making such sweet love to me that I would wake up, sometimes aching between the legs or spent just from the dream, itself.

Tommy was a great comfort to me, during the times that I actually had to spend with him. Becoming Pharaoh's Husband lessened our time together, at first, and then when he fell ill, we were separated. But it seemed like the Gods were determined to keep Tommy and I from each other, for now Adam was sick and I was Pharaoh. Tommy was awake, but I saw little of him. And, at dinner, when he came in with Alex, laughing and acting like he'd known Alex his whole life…

Needless to say, I felt… betrayed, almost.

Was I expecting Tommy to wait up for me in his room until my Pharaoh matters were taken care of? Of course not. Was I expecting him to sit and be patient until I called on him? Never. After using him the way I had three years ago— though, he always claimed that I hadn't used him, and that we had made love— I never dreamed of treating Tommy like he was a slave to me, even with the change in our status.

Was I expecting to desire his company only to find that he'd been with Alex? No. However, did that make anything any easier? Absolutely not.

Part of me wanted to kick myself and say that I had no right to be jealous that Tommy had spent his time with Alex and not me. Tommy was entitled to spend time with whoever he pleased, and I had no reason or right to tell him otherwise. However, part of me wanted to kick myself and say that I had every right to be jealous. Alex didn't know two shits about Tommy, and Tommy was my best friend. Tommy and I were bound by a kind of love that I, highly, doubted Alex would ever understand…

I'd already been threatened, once, by Alex when it came to Adam. Now I had to feel threatened when it came to Tommy, too?

Fuck my life.

I tried, though, not to let it bother me. But seeing them, laughing and having a jolly-good time left me feeling betrayed, stupid and frustrated. Betrayed by Tommy, stupid for feeling betrayed by Tommy when he was entitled to a life of his own, and frustrated by the whole mess in the first place. Unfortunately, though, none of my frustrated and confused thoughts cleared up by the time I went to bed, and I got very little in the ways of decent sleep.

I woke up late the next morning with a raging headache and absolutely no motivation to get out of bed and do anything. My body felt like it was a thousand pounds heavier than it truly was. My head was screaming at me for sleeping for so long, pulsing behind my eyes and in my ears, sounding like a thousand bells and blinding me like a thousand suns. I ended up throwing a pillow over my face to, hopefully, slip back into darkness. Naturally, though, I had no such luck.

Growling softly to myself, I peeled the pillow and the blankets away, lying sprawled out on the bed with my eyes closed, my hair tangled and knotted beneath and around my head. I was only twenty-one, but I felt like a bitter eighty-year-old. I couldn't understand why, either.. I couldn't figure out, for the life of me, what had happened… I used to be so humble, so shy and gentle… I used to be fucking innocent, and now? Now I was the opposite. I was conceited, temperamental and whiny. Ra… What happened to me?

Before I could degrade myself further on how I had changed over the years, I heard a soft knock at the door of the chamber. Groaning, I tilted my head up, glancing at the door, "Come in," I muttered, grabbing the edge of the blanket and tossing it back over my naked body, letting my eyes slip shut again. I never slept with clothes on anymore, and I didn't want to just lay, completely exposed, to whoever needed to come into mine and Adam's room.

The door clicked open quietly, and swung shut before I heard the soft patter of well-worn sandals against the stone floor. I didn't lift my head to see who it was, simply, because, I didn't give a damn. The footsteps drew closer and closer before the bed shifted slightly. I frowned, opening my eyes to see Hiei, kneeling on the edge of the bed with a plate of food resting on a tray in front of him.

"Good morning, Drake," he muttered gently, a smile plucking at his lips. I blinked, sitting up slowly, making sure to stay covered. Hiei was dressed in a pair of green trousers with a grey, almost silvery, embroidery along the hem with a matching shirt that hung off of his shoulders. It wasn't anything I'd ever seen from the market, and I could only assume that someone had made it for him.

"Hiei… Uh, g-good morning," I stuttered softly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed for only being covered by a blanket in front of him. In truth, I shouldn't have been so embarrassed. I was the Pharaoh's husband and he, sadly, a servant. I should have felt comfortable, but I felt exposed, and not in a good way.

"I— I brought you some food.. You missed breakfast," he said quietly, and I glanced down at the plate, seeing a slab of well-cooked meat with slices of bread buttered to perfection and two eggs, a small pitcher of water next to the plate, along with a cup. My mouth watered at the sight of the food and my stomach growled at me. Hiei chuckled gently, bowing his head to me in respect.

"I.. I apologize, I did not mean to sleep so late," I explained, readjusting the blanket some before reaching for the tray, pulling it closer. Hiei nodded once, keeping his head down.

"It's alright. It was originally suggested that you be woken and informed when it was time for lunch, but.. I did not think it would be fair to let you go so long without food, and I insisted that I bring you some," Hiei muttered gently, and I smiled at him, though his head was down. He was so sweet, "I… I also wanted to make sure you were alright," he admitted, lifting his head to look at me, "at dinner, last night, you were very quiet when Alexander and Thomas came in…"

I glanced away for a moment, plucking a slice of bread from the plate before taking a small bite. It was still warm, freshly toasted, and I smiled gently, taking another bite before chewing and swallowing, "It's been.. A stressing week, to say the least, since Adam fell ill," I told him, taking another bite.

"Understandable. I believe, if I were in your shoes, I would not be doing nearly as well as you are right now, handling the stress of being Pharaoh as well as worrying about love.." Hiei said quietly, and I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow slightly. His eye caught mine and he looked away, clenching his jaw.

"Tell me something, Hiei," I murmured, setting my half-eaten bread down, "Your.. relationship.. with Cassidy? Enlighten me, if you don't mind?" I inquired, bringing my knees up to rest my arms on them, smiling sweetly at him.

Hiei's face flushed a gentle scarlet color and I chuckled, but otherwise remained silent, "Cassidy.. Has been very good to me. Very patient with me. He's been willing to let me.. understand what it means to feel this way for someone so suddenly. He's… Well, he's quite the gentleman, to be honest," Hiei mused with a smile on his face, a distant look in his eyes that flashed for only a moment, "and he's been very open with me, trusting and kind… Something, to say the least, that I am not used to…" He trailed off and I frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, wondering if I was stepping over too personal of bounds.

"I have.. Been victim to issues of trust… and value, a lot, in my life," Hiei said simply, and there was something in me that wanted to know more, but I did not want to question him unnecessarily. Instead, I nodded once, looking away from him to eat more of my food. No sense in letting it go cold when Hiei had gone through the trouble of bringing it to me.

Hiei and I sat in silence for the longest time, up until I finished my late breakfast and drank a considerable amount of water. I'd just set my empty glass back down when Hiei lifted his head a little, looking over at me through the curtains of his bangs, "Did you enjoy your breakfast?" I glanced at him before chuckling softly.

"Yes, I did, thank you. Though, you didn't have to go through the trouble of getting it for me," I told him, but Hiei just shrugged his lanky shoulders, smiling warmly at me.

"I wanted to," Hiei admitted and I smiled at him, leaning over slowly to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. His skin was warm with a blush before I pulled away, and Hiei's eyes were wide when I looked at him. I laughed.

"Thank you, then. It was very kind of you," I said softly, keeping my knees tucked up against my chest with the blanket wrapped around my hips. Hiei nodded once, smiling shyly at me as he gathered up the tray in his arms, slipping off of the bed and making his way towards the door of the chamber. I watched him leave before wrapping my arms around my knees, tucking my head down silently, sighing heavily.

Part of me said to get up, get dressed and do something useful. But I still had that sense of no motivation. I wanted to go back to sleep, but I knew that would just be a waste of time. A waste of energy. A waste of a life.

Sighing again, I uncurled myself from the ball I'd put myself in before peeling the covers back, slipping from the bed. I padded across the room, naked, towards the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Reaching forward, I grabbed the handles, pulling the doors open before glancing inside. It was warm, today, so I decided to snatch out a pair of white shorts with gold embroidery, a loose fitting white shirt and a sheer white robe.

Quickly, I tugged the shorts on, pulling the shirt over my head and letting it hang loosely off of my shoulders before slipping the robe on. The robe hung off of my shoulders, inching a little just beyond the tips of my fingers and ending around my thighs. I slid my feet into my sandals, strapping them on around my ankles.

Standing straight, I turned on my heel, making my way across the chamber towards the doors, pulling them open before slipping out into the hall, tugging them shut behind me. Inhaling deeply, I glanced both ways down the hallway before turning to my left, making my way towards the room that Adam was resting in. I hadn't gone to see him in a few days and, to be honest, I just wanted to spend time with him… Maybe, try to wake him up, if I could.

Sometimes it was hard to believe that Adam had been sick for a week, or so. It always seemed like it was only yesterday when he collapsed at dinner. I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing back the memory of watching him fall like that. It had been the most terrifying experience of my life, next to when Brad was still alive… Shuddering, I rounded a corner, making my way towards Adam's room when Tommy's voice stopped me.

"Drake?" I paused in mid step, turning a little to see Tommy coming up behind me. He was dressed in a grey, long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up around his elbows and a pair of grey pants, looking healthier than he had in the past few days. I smiled faintly at him, turning fully towards him.

"Tommy," I acknowledged him as he stepped up to me, cupping my face tenderly in my hands giving me a sweet kiss on the lips. I moaned softly, my tongue sliding along his between our mouths for a moment before he pulled away. I smiled a little more at him, taking his hand and lacing our fingers together.

"Would you mind if I joined you in wherever it is you are going?" He asked, and I laughed quietly, shaking my head.

"I would not mind a bit, Tommy," I said, "I was, actually, going to go check on Adam," I explained, turning again, walking with him down the rest of the way to Adam's room. Tommy nodded once, giving my hand a soft squeeze as we neared the door to Adam's room. Inhaling slowly, I prepared my heart for a letdown, like always, praying to the Gods that I would find the strength in Tommy's presence and in his love not to cry, again.

Pushing open the doors, Tommy and I stepped inside, leaving it open to let in fresh air and light. Adam was laying on the bed in the same position as the night when he was first brought to this room. His arms were at his sides as his face was tilted up towards the ceiling, his eyes closed. The only difference was that there was a touch more color to his face than before, and my heart skipped a beat.

Quietly, Tommy and I made our way to Adam's side. Tommy pulled up a small chair to the side of the bed, sitting in it with the back of the chair against his chest. I took a seat on the edge of Adam's bed, reaching down to take his hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying so hard to hold back the tears that wanted to spill down my cheeks.

"Hey baby," I whispered to him, momentarily forgetting about the blond beside me. For a moment, it was just me and Adam. The two of us in this room, alone. And Adam was merely sleeping. Not fighting off poison that was meant to kill him… Oh, Ra… My heart clenched in my chest. I was, still, so very thankful that Adam had realized there was something wrong before consuming too much of the poison… I couldn't lose him.

"Adam," Tommy murmured beside me, and I blinked, swallowing the lump from my throat, "please come back to us. I'm here now, but Drake needs you. Egypt needs you… Drake is doing a fantastic job, filling in for you, but I know he's not happy doing it," Tommy said, talking like I wasn't even there. I felt my face heat up delicately and I looked away from them both, "Please, Adam. He needs you. I need you,"

I gnawed on my bottom lip, tracing circles into the back of Adam's hand. For a moment, I thought I felt his fingers twitch against my grasp. Perhaps it was my wishful thinking.. My overactive imagination. Adam had been asleep for a week, and I'd begun to wonder if he would be like Tommy… Sleeping for a month before coming back to us. But, then, why did I imagine his hand twitching?

Glancing down at our hands, I squeezed his hand again, breathing deeply as tears stung my eyes. I wanted to stop fucking crying, but it seemed like everything, these days, were bringing the waterworks to my eyes. I wanted to be done with all of this, but I just couldn't help it.

I dipped my head, my shoulders trembling once with tears before I felt it again— Adam's hand twitching. I opened my eyes, staring hard at our hands. Out of my peripheral, I could see Tommy watching as well, a frown pulling at his plump lips. It couldn't have been my imagination if Tommy was seeing something, right? A tear fell, rolling down my cheek as I gazed deeply at our hands. It seemed like forever passed until— there.

Adam's fingers stretched a little, before tightening around mine.

My head snapped up to Adam's face, my eyes searching for any signs of life coming back to him. Was he.. Really? Oh, Ra, please.. Please, give him back to me. Don't tease me like this, please! My heart was thrashing in my chest as Adam's mouth dropped open slightly, and he groaned, his head slowly lolling towards myself and Tommy. I gasped, staring with wide eyes at him.

"Adam?" Tommy whispered gently, reaching out and covering mine and Adam's hands with his own palm, giving us a squeeze.

"Baby?" I added, reaching out to caress Adam's cheek. His head lolled back and he leaned into my touch, groaning again. Were my prayers finally being answered? They had to have been… Please..

Adam groaned again, squeezing mine and Tommy's hands before his eyes fluttered open, first staring blankly up at the ceiling before he blinked, turning his focus, first, to me. He blinked again, a small smile stretching at his lips as he sighed heavily, "Drake…" He whispered and I choked on a sob, leaning down to press my forehead to his chest, shaking like a leaf against him. "Drake…" Adam whispered again, slowly reaching up to rest his free palm on the back of my hand.

"Oh, Adam," I wept, squeezing his hand as tightly as my meager strength would allow. I was not very physically strong, but I must've been strong enough to make Adam uncomfortable, for he groaned again, tugging his hand away from my palm a little. I inhaled slowly, loosening my grip as I sat up. I glanced at Tommy, noticing Adam's eyes following mine before his own widened.

"Tommy…?" Adam muttered, and the blond smiled at him, tears rolling down his face. "Tommy, you're… You're alive," Tommy nodded once, taking Adam's hand from me, giving him a soft squeeze.

"I'm here, Adam. I'm here," he said gently, kissing Adam's hand lightly. Adam smiled weakly at us, tears pooling in his ocean eyes. I whimpered, leaning down to kiss Adam sweetly, my palm coming up to cup his face tenderly. Adam moaned quietly into my mouth, letting his lips part to allow my tongue access to his mouth. I felt Adam's hand come up to the back of my head before his fingers tangled into my hair, pulling tenderly.

I broke our kiss, caressing his cheek as I cried gently, "I love you… I'm so glad you're awake," I whispered to him. Adam whimpered softly, grazing a kiss against my lips.

"I love you too, Drake… I love you, too,"


	97. Chapter 97

**Chapter Forty-Two: He Mumbled Something While We Got Down On the Floor, Baby  
Hiei's POV**

I couldn't exactly explain the uncomfortable heat that was continuously washing over my body, despite the cold, desert night air. I was in my room, attempting to sleep. It was late-ish but not too late. People were still up and about, going about their normal routines. I wanted to blame the noise for why I couldn't get any sleep, but it wasn't, really, that distracting to me. Living on the streets had been much more noisy than this.

My conversation with Cassidy kept flashing through my mind, along with the dozens of passionate kisses we'd shared and that one day in the library… A soft, instinctive moan passed through my lips before I even realized I had the urge to make the sound in the first place. Needless to say, I had a very negative attitude towards sex, considering my father tried to sell me to a man who wanted me only for sex. I was still a virgin for that very reason. People had made advances on me in the past and I always turned them down. I didn't like being touched or held. Until recently, I didn't even like having someone stare at me for too long. I hated intimacy.

But the Pharaoh's adviser, Cassidy, had changed all of that in a matter of weeks.

Cassidy knew more about me than anyone else, simply because he was the only one I _did_ tell. He was the only one I ever felt comfortable with telling. I'd never gotten close enough to tell anyone else… But, with Cassidy, it wasn't a one sided street. In fact, he opened up to me first! He told me that he wanted to love me, that he did love me, but the wounds his former lover had left were keeping him from moving too far.

At first, I felt like him wanting to move slowly, because of Brad, was a good thing. It gave me time to adjust to the idea of having a lover, of belonging to someone. That was something I never even imagined I would ever be. I desperately desired and envied the relationships I saw all around me, but the protective wall I built around myself prevented me from ever exploring the possibilities. My father had ruined that for me.

But, like I said before, Cassidy had changed my view on being close to people in a matter of weeks. I wanted to be in his arms more than I wanted to be by myself. I _liked_ when he kissed me and I _loved_ when he touched me. I kept telling myself that I had kept my virginity this long for a reason, but every day that past was one more day my desire for Cassidy increased tenfold.

I'd liked him for a while now, but it wasn't until that day in the gardens that I truly felt connected to him. It took some kind of meaningful relationship to open up to someone like that, right? I wasn't, exactly, an expert on relationships or anything, but I've only seen people be so honest if they meant something to someone. At least, that's what I got from my observations. I couldn't really say that I paid a lot of attention to the subject, considering I didn't care.

But then Cassidy showed up in my life, or I showed up in his. Whichever.

Tossing and turning, I quickly realized I was not going to be getting any sleep tonight. My mind was dwelling in matters that I didn't know too much about, but knew enough… "Fucking Hell, Cassidy," I cursed, sitting up and throwing the thin sheet I had been using away. "How did you fucking do this to me?!"

I couldn't just lay here and hope that the dull aching between my legs was just going to go away. Maybe I really didn't know that much about being aroused, because I'd never really had a reason to be before, but I was sure it wasn't going to just disappear because I wanted it to. Ignoring it wasn't working, so I pushed myself out of bed and left me room without worrying about my sandals.

A few people were still rushing about the halls, trying to finish their daily work so they could go to bed, like everyone else was doing. Maybe it was later than I'd originally thought. How fucking long had I just been laying there in my heated discomfort? The people who did pass me didn't pay me any mind. I wasn't important other than the fact that I was always with Cassidy or Drake. I was recognized, but everyone knew I was a servant.

By the time Cassidy's door came into view, I was practically running through the halls. Fuck, when did I become so desperate? I knocked as softly as I could manage of the wooden slab that made up Cassidy's door. There was a soft "just a moment" one the other side of the door, followed by some shuffling around the room and, finally, Cassidy pulling the door open.

He seemed a little shocked to see me. I couldn't blame him, really. I should have been asleep right now, but I simply could not sleep. "Hello, Hiei," he said, taking a step to the side to let me in. I took a few steps into the room and Cassidy closed the door behind us. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his arm wrapping itself around my waist while the other came up to cup my face. "You're a little warm…" he mumbled, brief worry washing over his beautiful face. "You're not feeling sick, are you?" Apparently, worrying about fever was like a qualification for living in this palace.

"No…" I mumbled, a light blush flaming across my face. "But I can't sleep… I…" I bit my lip, looking away from him. Why was a natural desire so embarrassing to express? I couldn't really grasp the concept, but talking about sexual desires with someone for the first time was… very embarrassing. _Just fucking tell him, Hiei! You two have already been fucking intimate. You let him strip you in the library and touch you all over. You shouldn't be so fucking embarrassed to tell him what you want!_ I mentally scolded myself.

But did I, really, know what it was that I wanted? I'd never been so close to someone before. I wasn't one-hundred percent sure that I wanted to give myself to Cassidy yet but, clearly, my body didn't agree with my brain.

"You what, baby?" Cassidy asked, frowning a little. He tucked a finger under my chin, forcing me to look at him. The blush remained across my cheeks and no matter how much I tried to pull out of his grasp, he was too strong. "What's wrong?"

"I keep… Cassidy, I keep thinking about that night in the garden, when you told me about Brad and I told you about my father… And the way you held me and promised me you'd never hurt me like that," I mumbled, speaking a little too quickly, but he seemed to understand. "I realized that I've never been so open with someone before. I've never… been so close to anyone else and… I'm not entirely sure how to say this…"

Cassidy pressed his forehead to mine, both of his hands coming up to cup my face. "You're afraid of it?" he asked. "But, you crave being closer?"

"How… How did you know that?" I mumbled, blinking up at him.

He smiled sheepishly, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. "Because it's exactly how I feel," he whispered into my lips. "I want to know everything about you, Hiei… I want to know how you feel, what makes you happy, what makes you upset and what makes you tick. I want to know every inch of you and, really, I can't stop thinking about you." Needless to say, my blush deepened tenfold.

"I can't stop thinking about you, either. I can't get you off my mind and it's starting to interfere with everything I try to do. I can't even sleep, Cassidy! And I just want to… to figure all of this out," I said, staring him in the eye despite my embarrassment. "I want to give myself to you, but I'm terrified of that level of intimacy."

Cassidy stared at me for a long time in silence before his fingers began rubbing circles into my cheeks. "Physical intimacy?" he mused. "Well, I understand your fears of it but… we've already reached that intimacy on an emotion level and that's much harder to do."

I blushed again, nodding a little. "I guess you're right but… I've never had sex with anyone before and I don't, exactly, have that great of view of it…" I admitted. I kind of assumed that he figured out I was a virgin already, but saying it out loud was completely different.

He kissed me sweetly again. "Baby," he whispered, his thumbs still drawing circles into my cheeks. "You know I would never force you to do anything you felt uncomfortable with. We'll go at your speed. If you want to try, and we don't go all the way, that's fine. If you want to wait, that's fine too. Whatever you're comfortable with,"

"What are you comfortable with?" I asked him, my eyes a little wide as I stared back at him. As much as the idea of sex terrified me, the thought of living in the constant haze of incompleteness was even worse. I needed some sort of relief from this.

"Whatever you want, Hiei," he said. "I'm not afraid of being intimate with you, not anymore," he added. "Not after that night in the gardens,"

This time, I stared at him in silence for a few moments, before I finally built up the courage to tell him what I wanted. "What would you say if I told you I wanted you to take me?" I whispered, feeling younger than I had in years.

"I would say whenever you're ready," he said, more sure of himself than I was of myself. "Is that what you want?" he asked after a moment of just watching me blush. I stared up into his eyes and nodded, unable to find my voice. "Is that what you want right now?" Was it what I wanted at this very moment? I wasn't entirely sure, but I nodded anyway. He said if I wanted to stop, we could. I had to trust him on that.

He didn't say another word. His lips merely covered mine in a heated, passionate kiss. I couldn't fight the moan that ripped itself from my throat and I arched up into him, my arms winding themselves around his neck. His arms latched around my waist as he deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into my throat. I only moaned again, allowing my tongue to taste and wander around his before shoving it back into his mouth along with mine.

After a minute, he broke the kiss, breathing heavily. "Just tell me if you need me to stop, alright?" he asked quietly. I merely nodded, panting slightly. Couldn't he see that I was desperate for some form of release? I wanted him to just get on with it before I chickened out.

Cassidy walked backwards, away from his bed, which confused me. Instead, he sat in a large, plump chair that sat in the corner of his room, along with a few bookshelves. He must have done a lot of reading or studying. He probably had to for his job. If he wanted to be a good adviser to the Pharaoh of Egypt, he needed to know what the fuck he was talking about, I'd imagine.

He sat down in the chair and looked up at me. "What?" I mumbled. From what little I did know about sex, it usually took place on a bed, not in a chair. I wasn't even sure we would be able to do it on a chair, but Cassidy was the expert, not me.

"Climb into my lap, baby," he said, taking my hands in his and pulling me close. "Straddle my hips, you know, like you did in the dining hall a few days ago." My ever existing blush deepened and I did what I was told. I climbed on top of Cassidy, straddling his hips with my knees.

His hands fell to my hips and he kissed me again, pulling a gasp from my lips. His fingers trailed under the fabric of my loose fitting shirt and he trailed them up my sides, pulling the shirt with them. I shivered under his touch, moaning into his mouth. He broke the kiss just long enough to completely pull the shirt up. I lifted my arms so he could pull it off. He tossed it off to the side, but I didn't really know where it landed, nor did I really give a damn at this point.

Cassidy looked down my torso and smiled, leaning forward to leave a kiss on my jaw line. "I will admit that I've never met such a beautiful boy," he whispered into my skin, nipping at it gently. His hands roamed up and down my sides again, stopping right around my ribcage. His fingers danced across my skin, stopping at my nipples, and he rubbed them both at one.

I gasped loudly, arching into him. "That's not true. This palace if full of beautiful boys…" I whined quietly, gnawing on my lower lip.

Cassidy chuckled. "Adam likes to surround himself with beautiful boys, yes, but you are so stunning…" he mumbled, dropping his lips to my neck. He drug a few wet kisses across the skin before he bit down lightly.

"Aaaah…" I moaned out, a little louder than the other moans. I could practically feel him smirking into my skin. "Cassidy…" I whined and he bit down a little harder, trying to mark me, no doubt. I was sure he was succeeding, but I didn't care. Usually, you wouldn't think a bite would feel good, but this sent blood rushing right to my lower regions.

He pulled away, only to bite into another portion of my neck, a little to the right of the first one and he pinched my nipples hard, pulling what I could only describe as a strangled cry from my lips. "Good to know that biting your neck and pinching your nipples are just like instant turn-ons for you," he whispered, licking the marks he'd just put into my skin.

I blushed furiously. "Shuddup…" I mumbled. He chuckled softly and dipped his head down, dropping his hands back to my hips. At first, I didn't understand, but then he licked my nipple and I cried out, arching into him and jerking forward. I could hear his moans as he pulled the bud between his teeth, sucking on it like it was his favorite candy and he needed as much of it as he could get. "Aah… Cass- Ah!" I cried, moving my fingers up into his slightly shaggy hair to pull on it. He growled around my nipple and bit down on it lightly. "Fuck…" I whined, squirming a little, but his hands kept me firmly in place.

Once satisfied, he moved across my chest to the other nipple. Cold air washed over his saliva and a shiver of pure pleasure shot from the base of my spine, up. He went to work on my other nipple, leaving its twin slick and bubbled up into hardness. His hands, I didn't realize for a moment, were wandering, digging at my shorts. I gasped, but kept myself in place, letting him undo the material in the front.

It wasn't until he nudged me through the fabric of my shorts, that I truly realized how much I was already aching down there. I whined quietly, pulling on Cassidy's hair again. For a second time, he growled at me, but I found it… a little too sexy to resist. "Cass… Cassidy, please… it hurts," I whined, burying my nose into his hair. He smelled like he'd recently taken a bath but his hair had time to dry. It probably didn't take long. He didn't have nearly as much as I did or Drake or even Alexander.

"Relax, baby," he whispered, pulling away from the nipple. The same sensations shot up my spine. "I'm going to take good care of you, I promise," I whined again, instinctively grinding my hips into his. I could feel his erection pressing into my thigh, I whimpered, leaning forward to nuzzle my face into his neck, leaving a few kisses here and there.

"Please baby…" I whimpered, grinding into him again. He gasped and I pawed at his shirt, pulling it up some. He lifted his arms for me, like I had for him, and I pulled his shirt off, tossing it off to be forgotten with my shirt. "Baby…"

"Get up, Hiei," he whispered softly, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. "Go get the bottle out of my nightstand, please." I was confused and I whined some, but I did as I was asked and fetched the bottle out of Cassidy's night stand. I walked back over and handed the bottle to him. He set it on the arm of the chair and sat up straight, reaching for my shorts again. They were already undone in the front, so he simply grabbed them on each side and tugged them down, letting them fall to the floor.

Blushing, I stepped out of them, leaving myself completely exposed to Cassidy. He stared at me for a while, a light blush creeping across his face. "Ra, you're beautiful," he whispered.

"Cassidy…" I mumbled, staring down at him in my embarrassment. "It's not fair that… I'm the only one who's naked…" He chuckled and stood up so he could slip his trousers off, and my eyes went wide. I'd seen Cassidy, somewhat, exposed to me before, but completely naked with each other? That was completely different and Cassidy was even more beautiful than I'd ever imagined…. "Fuck…"

Cassidy sat down in the chair again and he motioned for me to climb back onto him, so I did. I straddled his hips again, but instead of having some form of clothing between us, our skin rubbed against one another and I could feel his erection pressing into my thighs. I whimpered softly, wrapping my arms around his neck again.

He pressed a gentle kiss into my cheek, licking it afterwards. "Do you want to stop?" he asked but I just shook my head and buried my face into his neck.

"No… No, please," I whispered, dragging a few kisses across his skin. He moaned quietly, his hands roaming, almost petting my back, like he was trying to commit every inch of my body to memory. Maybe that's exactly what he was doing, I wasn't entirely sure, but my face remained heated the entire time. It only intensified when his hands reached my ass, cupping both of my cheeks. I whined again, pressing a little closer to him as he spread my cheeks apart, rubbing a finger over my entrance.

Like in the library, I wasn't ready for it even though I knew it was coming and I moaned loudly, jerking into him. He moaned and his hands disappeared all together. "Cassidy…" I mumbled, opening my eyes long enough to see him pulling the bottle I'd brought him open. He squirted some sort of creamy lotion onto his hands and rubbed it thoroughly into his fingers.

"Shush, baby, I'm getting there," he said quietly, his non-lotioned hand coming back up to hold my hip tightly. He dropped his hand between our bodies and slipped it between my thighs. His lips pressed into my hairline as his fingers began to rub against my entrance again, only cool and slicked this time. "Are you ready?" he mumbled into my now sweaty skin. Even though it was so cold at night, it felt like it was one-hundred forty degrees in here.

"Y-yes…" I whispered, my fingers threading into his hair. I needed something to hold onto. Keeping my arms wrapped around him just wasn't cutting it anymore.

"Alright, Hiei," he whispered. "I need you to relax, okay?" I nodded and I tried my damnedest to relax, but how could I? I felt like every last one of my nerve endings was on fire. Slowly, painfully slow, he started pushing a single digit up into me. I tightened around him instantly, pulling him deeper. He moaned, pressing his lips to mine again and he started pumping his finger in and out of me, just as slowly.

When he hit _that_ spot, I thought I was going to come just as quickly as I had in the library, but I didn't, thank Ra. I just cried into his lips, pushing down on his hand more. He took that as an invitation to add a second finger, which he used to pump into me and scissor me, like he was trying to loosen me up some. In fact, I was one-hundred percent sure that's what he was doing.

By the time he'd pushed a third finger into me, stretching me further, I was moaning and whining like a bitch in heat. My already painful erection was growing harder, if that was even physically possible. "Cassidy…" I whined, biting into his neck for a moment. "Please…" Cassidy punched into me, hitting that spot for the hundredth time and I cried out, arching up against him again. " _Please!_ " I cried, nipping his neck again and again.

Pulling his fingers out, he moaned at each of my nips. He pushed me back just enough that we could look into one another's eyes. "Are you sure about this, Hiei? You know we don't have to do this today if you aren't ready. We can stop…" he whispered, but his flushed and angry erection, pressing against the inside of my upper thigh, was telling me the exact opposite. My own problem wasn't exactly helping either…

"I- I want you…" I whispered, my voice weak with pleasure. Cassidy's eyelids drooped a little and he leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine again. His hands gripped each of my hips tightly and he pulled me as close as I could be, the head of his member pressed flush against my entrance.

I shook a little and pulled on his hair as he broke the kiss. "Alright, baby, but I'm not going to lie. This will hurt… The best way to handle it is to stay relaxed," he whispered against my lips. I nodded a little. I had a rather high tolerance to pain. I could take this. I _needed_ to take him…

He kissed me again, pushing his hips up to meet mine. At the same time, he guided my hips down on him and, I won't lie, it hurt. A lot. It was possibly one of the most painful things I'd ever experienced in my life. I felt like I might rip into two halves and the stretching only got worse until he was completely shoved inside of me. It felt cramped and uncomfortable but at least he'd finished… I couldn't help but think how exactly, this was supposed to be pleasurable, but I had to trust Cassidy. I no longer held any playing cards.

His hands moved to my back, drawing smooth circles in my sweaty skin to relax me further and, after a while, it did work. I leaned against him, my chest pressed to his and my head resting on his shoulders. After several minutes, Cassidy began to rock his hips in and out of mine.

The first few thrusts hurt almost as badly as the original stretching, but after the fourth or fifth thrust, the pain was beginning to curl into a ball of tight, sinful pleasure at the base of my spine. The tears that had formed in my eyes quickly disappeared and soon I was meeting every one of Cassidy's thrusts half way, moaning quite loudly too. Cassidy moaned or growled at me, but I was too lost in my world of constant pleasure to really pay him much mind, other than the fact that he was the one fucking me. That he was the one who was taking my virginity and I'd _given_ it to him.

When Cassidy hit that spot, stars danced into my vision and I thought I might die from pleasure. I cried out, almost screaming in sinful bliss. Cassidy smirked at me. "Looks like I found it," he whispered into my ear, dipping his tongue along the shell.

I cried out loud at every thrust because now he was purposefully aiming for that spot. I was beginning to think that I wouldn't be able to handle anymore of this. "Cassidy…" I moaned. "Cassidy! AH!" I cried out, coming down on him again. "Please… I…" I bit my lip, itching to touch myself, but Cassidy beat me to that point. His hand wrapped tightly around my member, pumping me like he'd done in the library and I bucked into his touch, growling at him. "Cassidy!"

"Come on, Hiei," he whispered, nibbling my earlobe. "Fall apart baby, it's alright. I'm right here… I've got you and I won't let you go, I promise." His hand came down once more and his member pressed right up into that spot. I simply couldn't take it. I screamed into his neck, white flashing across my vision as I came, hot and hard all over Cassidy.

After that, I couldn't really hear much. I was only aware of Cassidy thrusting into me once more before warm gooeyness filled my insides. I gave off a hoarse cry, slumping against him because I couldn't even hold myself up anymore. His hands fell onto my back, rubbing circles into my skin again, as he pulled out of me, which just pulled another cry from my lips.

I heard him chuckle and he shifted, pulling me into his arms as he stood up and walked over to his bed. He laid me down and curled up next to me. "I love you," he whispered to me, pulling me tightly against him. I loosely wrapped my arms around his waist, my head resting against his shoulder.

"I love you too…" I whispered, my eyelids drooping in exhaustion. I couldn't even keep my eyes open and the only coherent thoughts running through my mind were that I'd just had sex with Cassidy, the first (and hopefully the only) person I had ever fallen in love with.

 _And I definitely wasn't a virgin anymore… Oh Ra._


	98. Chapter 98

**Chapter Forty-Three: It's Voodoo— You're Under His Spell**

 **Adam's POV**

It had been early afternoon when I awoke from my healing slumber. I was groggy and it was hard to see at first, but I could feel Drake sitting next to me. I could hear him talking to me, and when my focus cleared, he was the first person that I saw. My lover, my husband, crying for me and for the fact that I was awake.

I couldn't be sure, at first how long I had been awake. A few hours? A few days? Weeks? Or had I been like Tommy and been under for more? I knew that it had been a lengthy amount of time when I glanced to my left, seeing the blond looking healthy and refreshed next to me. I felt my heart stop at the sight of his beautiful brown eyes, glistening back at me in the light of the room, his smile stretching wider when I whispered his name, and he kissed my hand.

Tears had begun to fill my eyes when Drake's lips covered mine, his palm cupping my cheek so tenderly. I whimpered, letting my lips part to taste him. It shouldn't have been so strange that I missed the way he tasted so miserably, but it was. I could not have been out long, right? Apparently, though, it was long enough to make Drake fear that I would not wake at all.

Had I been like Tommy then? Had the poison I consumed been more affective that originally thought?

Drake told me he loved him, and I told him that I loved him back— it was true. It would always be true. I loved Drake more than anyone. More than Tommy, Cassidy, Alexander and, perhaps, even my own— though, deceased— family. I loved him and I wanted nothing more than for his happiness. And it was clear that his happiness was at my waking up. And I could only imagine that he had happiness when Tommy woke up.

But that had been yesterday. Yesterday afternoon; it felt like so long ago. Drake and Tommy had insisted that I stay in bed, at least, until dinner time, that way I could get my strength. Apparently, since the attempt on my life, the food for all the meals had been constantly checked to ensure that no one else was in any danger. And there had been no reports, so it was safe to assume that everything was clear and okay.

By the time the sun had begun to set, Drake came lumbering back to the chamber that I had been resting in. Servant boys had recently tended to me, making sure that I got to the bathroom safely to bathe and scrub away the illness I had endured. I was freshly cleaned with my hair hanging in thick waves, still drying, around my face. I was wearing a pair of white trousers with gold and ruby embroidery and a matching white shirt with a deep, ruby robe that hung off of my shoulders and came down to my thighs over everything.

I felt very regal— empowering, almost— and when Drake stepped into the room, his eyes widened softly before clouding with something sinfully familiar before flickering away, and he smiled at me, "You look beautiful," he whispered, coming to my side to stand on his toes and press a kiss to my lips.

I moaned quietly, pulling Drake closer by cupping his face in my hands, slipping my tongue into his mouth. Drake trembled lightly in my arms, wrapping his arms around my neck to glue himself to me, his fingers tangling into the hair on the back of my neck.

The sounds of wet pops, clicks, moans and shifts of clothing filled the room as I slid my palms under Drake's shirt, teasing his nipples and dragging my nails into his skin. He gasped softly, arching into me, tilting his head back. I took this as an offering to claim his neck like I always did. I leaned down, pressing, first, my lips to his skin, kissing and licking the spot that I desired most before baring my teeth, gently biting into the flesh.

Drake jerked up against me, moaning loudly, craning his neck to expose more of his beautiful skin. I sucked hard, tangling my fingers into his crimson hair, pulling sharp and hard. Drake jerked again, and I could feel his erection pressing to the inside of my thigh. Smirking softly, I pulled away from his neck, licking the mark sweetly.

"Aah—! Adam…" Drake groaned gently, pressing himself closer to me. I chuckled quietly, rubbing his cheeks with my thumbs before kissing him again.

"Come, love, let's go to dinner," I suggested, taking his hands in mine. Drake whined softly but obeyed as I pulled him through the door and down to the dining hall of the palace.

The walk, itself, was fairly short, considering we'd been in the room that I'd been taken to after being poisoned. And a man of my size was, no doubt, difficult to carry for long stretches of distance. Not that I mind, really. I was starving from not eating real sufficiently in the time that I'd been sleeping and the idea of submersing myself with those close to me was more appealing than I gave it credit for.

When Drake and I came to the doors of the dining hall, my heart was beating steadily in my chest and I was breathing just a little hard. Drake had one arm around my waist, his free palm pressed to the curve of my forearm as we walked. I could feel, just from his aura, that he was worried about me and the fact that I was having difficulty, but I tried to assure him that I was fine. I was just a little winded, and nothing more.

Pushing open the doors, Drake and I walked in, side by side, into the hall. Tommy and Alexander were seated closest to the head of the table and across from each other. Cassidy was seated beside Alexander's right hip, Hiei next to Cassidy. To Tommy's left were Drake's mother, Roza, and his four siblings, Eric, Amalia, Jonah and Hayden. I smiled warmly at them and they all— except for Tommy— showed expressions of shock and relief.

Alex bolted from his seat to come to my side, his eyes wide as he reached out to touch my cheek gently before wrapping his arms around me in a hug. I was startled at first, but I hugged him back, pressing my face into his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. Much to my surprise, Drake didn't even seem fazed by the moment. In fact, he looked content with it. Drake…?

"I'm so glad you're okay," Alex whispered, tears appearing to sting his eyes as he took a step back. He glanced, warily, at Drake for a moment, but my husband just shook his head and smiled as Cassidy came up beside us, palming my cheek tenderly for a moment before coming close, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"I agree with Alex. It's nice to see you back on your feet and well," Cassidy muttered warmly to me, and I chuckled.

"It's nice to be up and about," I said, agreeing with his and Alex's remarks before taking my seat at the head of the table next to Drake.

The next morning I woke in the confines of my chambers with Drake curled close in my arms. His hair was tangled around his face, but he looked like an angel, and I smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He sighed in his sleep but, otherwise, did not stir. Light poured in through the windows, soft and yellow in their glow. Rays touched along Drake's skin, illuminating him and making him appear so innocently sweet.

Smiling still, I pulled myself from the warmth and comfort of Drake's arms, slowly sliding from the bed. As much as I wanted to stay in his arms and continue to sleep, I still had a job to do as Pharaoh. I had to get back into the swing of work with Cassidy. There were a few matters still at hand in dealing with technology and funding, as well as finding a new adviser to serve beside Cassidy for me.

While Cassidy never complained about being my only adviser, I knew that the work load was, sometimes, too much for him. I saw it in his eyes, and I saw it, especially, last night; the exhaustion that lay within his irises and the slump to his shoulders. I saw the weight of the world resting on him and I felt my heart clench.

But that had not been the only thing that I had noticed about Cassidy. I kept catching moments where he would steal a look to Hiei before smiling warmly. Hiei, sometimes, would catch these looks and he would blush. Not to mention, Hiei's left hand and Cassidy's right were tucked beneath the table between them, and I had no doubt in my mind that their fingers were laced, palms pressed together.

Quickly, I dressed myself back into the trousers and the robe that I'd worn the night before, not bothering with sandals or a shirt as I made my way across the chamber in silence, so as not to disturb Drake while he slept. I crept to the door, pulling it open as quietly as I could manage before slipping out into the hallway, pulling the door shut again.

Turning on my heel, I made my way down the massiveness of the hall in the direction of Cassidy's chamber. Sure, it was early and I knew that he did not favor waking early, but we needed to get back to work in making Egypt a better, more economically stable place. We couldn't be lazy about it, and while we could not control the poisoning, we needed to make up the time we had lost.

I was certain that Drake had done well in my absence— Drake had told me that Cassidy had said they talked about Drake being Pharaoh and inheriting everything, including the palace, the fortune, my status as well as rights to any political, economic, and personal matters for the future. But, now that I was well enough to take back my position, I knew that he would feel relieved not to have the pressure of being Pharaoh on his back while worrying about me at the same time.

Turning down another hallway, I kept my pace brisk yet regulated for the fact that my immune system was, no doubt, still trying to clear out all of the poison. My breathing, thankfully, stayed normal and my heartbeat didn't increase as drastically as it had last night when Drake and I had walked to the dining hall. Which was strange, considering this was a much longer and more strenuous walk than that had been. But whatever.

In no time, though, I found myself standing in front of Cassidy's door. Inhaling deeply, I knocked gently on the wood of the door, waiting for a few moments. But there was no answer. Frowning, I reached up and knocked again, still gentle. And, still, there was nothing. Biting down on my lower lip, I debated between leaving to see if Cassidy was elsewhere and going inside, just to make sure.

I decided on the latter, and reached for the door handle, clicking the button and pushing it forward. And the sight to see was one that I had not expected, but all the same did not surprise me, either.

Cassidy was lying on his side, facing the door with his arms wrapped snuggly around that of a smaller boy— Hiei. Hiei was faced away from me with his face pressed into Cassidy's chest, his arms tucked around Cassidy's mid section. A thin blanket was draped over their lower hips, and I could only assume that they had committed a sensual act that, usually, only lovers performed, the night before.

I dropped my hand from the handle, mumbling Cassidy's name gently. The brunette shifted and his eyes opened slowly, first catching that of Hiei's sleeping form. He smiled before looking up to see me, and the smile vanished. His eyes widened and, at first, the color drained from his face. But it wasn't until I smirked at him that the color washed back in full, staining his face a brilliant red.

"My Pharaoh," Cassidy whispered and I beckoned him to follow me with a jerk of my head before turning away to let him get dressed. I heard Cassidy shifting behind me as I pulled the door shut gently, waiting out in the hallway.

After a few moments, the door swung open again and Cassidy stepped out to join me in the hallway. He was dressed in a pair of dark green trousers and a matching vest, his sandals strapped around his feet. His trousers were pulled and tucked up around his knees, exposing the lean muscles of his legs. I smirked at him, shaking my head as I turned to start walking back down the hallway. Cassidy fell in step beside me, silent for a moment.

"I apologize, My Pharaoh," he mumbled softly, and I frowned at him.

"Why are you apologizing, Cassidy?" I inquired, curious.

"I… I did not expect you so early… It was not my intention for you to see me a-and Hiei.. like that.." He said gently, blushing a deep red. I snorted, laughing softly.

"It's quite alright, Cassidy. I just.. I can't believe you actually fucked him. And did I not tell you, originally, when Hiei was first brought here to work that you could have him for your own, if you desired it?" I suggested, recalling the memory quite well. Cassidy's blush deepened incredibly and he looked away from me, muttering words that shook my soul.

"I love him," he said. I stopped in mid-step, turning to face him with the shock clear as day on my face.

"You do?" I asked, and he nodded once, "Does Hiei?" He smiled.

"Yes," he confirmed and I laughed aloud, embracing my friend tightly. After three years of heartache that he suffered from Brad's betrayal and execution, Cassidy had finally accepted love back into his heart.


	99. Chapter 99

**Chapter Forty-Four: A Little Insight Will Make This Right  
Drake's POV**

It was almost strange to wake up and not have to do anything. When I realized Adam wasn't in bed with me, I thought that he hadn't woken up. I thought that I was still Pharaoh and I got up, dressing in something royal-looking (which also happened to be a little revealing…). Nothing too fancy, just tight, white shorts with gold and red detailing, a shear shirt with matching details and a red and gold shirt that hung down around my thighs, just a little shorter than my shorts, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. And, of course, golden sandals strapped to my feet.

It wasn't until I was half way to the throne room that I remembered Adam was fine and that he was taking his place as Pharaoh back from me, thank Ra. I just couldn't deal with being in charge of an entire country. I felt like I was getting gray hair from the job, even though I really wasn't.

When I saw Adam doing Pharaoh type things with Cassidy and a few other people I couldn't really name, I decided to just take some time to myself. The past week I'd been doing way too much shit that I wasn't used to doing. I just wished Adam would have told me about his will before he… got sick. But now that Adam was okay and things were finally falling back to normal, I decided to just not worry about what his will said anymore. When Adam did pass away, when he was well into his years, hopefully he'd already have picked an heir or I'd be more prepared to take his place.

Tommy and Alexander had both told me how dreadful the gardens were beginning to look. I hadn't been out there since Adam got sick, so I decided to venture out there and see it I could help out the gardeners some. I was actually quite good at it, believe it or not. It fell under my range of art expertise, I supposed.

The garden wasn't dreadful at all though. In fact, it looked fresh and brand new. I could only guess that once Adam was awake, people started going back to their normal, everyday duties, including the gardeners. By the looks of things, they'd done a wonderful job in restoring the garden from its brief lapse of perfection. So much for my plans. Oh well, I could just enjoy some time to myself, I guessed.

I wandered through the gardens, from one side to the other, looking at all of the different types of plants, flowers and artwork that was set up throughout the greenery. It was all so beautiful and inspirational. An urge that I hadn't had in quite some time hit me like a freight train. A burning want to create hit me and the longer I looked around, the more that want grew into a need. Suddenly I was rushing towards the outer door to my studio so I could start on my newest, freshest idea.

But, of course, I didn't get very far before running into someone. Alexander to be exact. "Alex?" I asked, frowning a little. He looked up from an open book laying across his thighs. It looked more like a sketch pad than a reading book, but he didn't seem to be drawing anything. Or maybe he was trying to draw, but he wasn't really good at it, so it turned out to be crappy… I didn't really know and I didn't have many intentions of asking him about it. Our new found relationship was still in its beginning stages and I didn't want to risk that by insulting him, or something along those lines.

"Oh, hey Drake," he said, smiling warmly at me. "Enjoying your day as not being Pharaoh, I take it?"

"Well, yeah, it's a fantastic feeling," I said, walking over to him. "But we really need to stop meeting in the gardens like this, you know. People might start getting the wrong idea about exactly what kind of relationship we have." He laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," he laughed, patting the grass next to where he was sitting, leaning against a small fountain.

I sat down next to him, the urge to create still lingering, but fading just enough to let me talk to Alex without some sort of nervous twitch, or something. "What do you think my husband would say about that one, Alex?" I asked him, smirking a little, but what he said shut me up real fast.

"To be completely honest? It would probably just send blood rushing right to his dick. He'd be at a loss for words and it could be an extremely awkward situation for us both," he said, smirking back at me. I could feel a blush creeping up along my face, but I ignored it as much as I could manage. "So let's just keep it our little secret, alright?" He chuckled, leaning over a little to press a kiss into my cheek. "So what brings you out here, My King?"

"Wanted to get out of the palace. I thought I'd come out here to help the gardeners, but it looks like they already took care of everything. So I walked around for a while, just enjoying my time of nothing to do and then I got this urge to make something, so I was on my way to my studio, but then I ran into you, not literally this time, and I'm talking to you now. Fell honored that I'm wasting my time with you," I teased and he just laughed, handing his sketchbook to me and offering me a few pencils.

"I was trying to draw as amazingly as you can, but it wasn't really working out for me. I'm a horrible artist, but I'd love to see an artist's genius in motion," he said. I blinked, taking a few of the pencils from him and flipped to a fresh page. My hand began flying out across the sheet, creating what, at first, looked like nothing but quickly began growing into a garden scene with several couples huddles next to a fountain, the only light would have been the full moon. "Amazing…"

I glanced over at him, but the pencil was still etching what my hand desired. Most of the time, when I was painting or drawing or even sculpting, I didn't ever think about what I was doing. I just let go of myself and whatever came out usually looked more fantastic than I ever thought it would be able to. "What?" I asked, sticking my tongue out of the corner of my mouth. A bad habit for when I was making any type of art.

"You drew all of that in, like, ten minutes," Alex said, his eyes doing round as he studied the paper for a while. "It's mind blowing, really. Something you should be extremely proud of." I smiled sheepishly at him and set the pencils down.

"Thank you," I whispered, turning a little to face him. I handed his sketch book back to him and curled my legs underneath myself, propping one arm against the fountain for support. "So what are you really doing out here? Cause obviously you weren't drawing."

He sighed, looking over at me again. "I just came out here to try to clear my mind. After everything that happened with Adam and… I've just had a restless mind, I guess. I'm not really sure what it is, I've just been thinking about things I shouldn't lately," he explained and I felt my heart grow a little heavy. It was beating just a little too fast and I had a sudden urge to check my pulse. The last time the doctor had come to check on Tommy before he woke up, and to check on Adam, he told me to watch my anxiety, not that I actually told anyone that. When no one was looking, I tended to put two fingers to my neck, right below my jaw, to feel it my heart was beating too much.

"Is there… something you wanna talk about?" I asked him and he seemed to grow a little pale. He gnawed on his bottom lip and I was starting to worry that there was something really wrong.

He looked over at me after a heavy, brief, silence. "Actually yes, it's something that I think we should talk about, Drake," he said. There goes my heart.

"What is it?" I asked quietly, trying not to show my growing worry.

"Bradley," Alex replied, staring me in the eye. His bright blue eyes grew hard and serious. We weren't just joking around anymore, I realized.

Looking away from him, I began gnawing on my lower lip. "Adam's old adviser?" I asked, frowning a little. "Why do you want to talk about him?" I was definitely not prepared for what he told me.

"Because, Drake, you've opened up to Adam and Tommy about what he did to you, but they don't fully understand you. They never went through it and they don't know. For the most part, you've healed and that's fantastic, but his wounds still remain," he said quietly and he reached out to cup my cheek, turning my head back to face him. "But I know exactly what it feels like. I know all about it and I haven't healed either…"

"B-Brad… raped you?" I whispered quietly, my lower lip quivering lightly. It had been such a long time since I'd ever talked about what Brad had done to me, three years ago. I don't even believe I've used the word "rape" since the night I told Adam everything.

Alex wrapped an arm around my waist and he pulled me close to him, like he was my older brother and not my husband's first lover. "He did a lot of things to me, Drake…" Alex whispered and I could hear the underlying fear in his tone. Even though Brad was executed, the fear he put into our souls obviously remained. "Rape, kidnap…"

"What happened?" I asked, looking up at him with eyes that I was sure reflected his own fears. "What did he do to you?"

"He was the reason Adam thought I died. He drugged me… For starters," he began. "It slowed my heartbeat enough to make it appear that I had died and when I was taken to be mummified… Brad took me. He locked me in this house on the outskirts of the market place." I gasped on instinct, my muscles going tense, like I was waiting for some form of assault. "What's wrong?"

"He took me there…" I told him, squeezing my eyes shut. "He took me from the market place, when I was shopping with Tommy, and he…" I shook my head, my overly active imagination painting a perfect replica of Brad forcing me to my knees for him behind my eyelids.

I didn't realize I was crying until Alex began stroking my tears away gently. "He raped you there, didn't he?" he asked quietly and I just nodded, laying my head against his shoulder. "He raped me there too…" he whispered. "He kept me locked up in that building for a long while, so I was there when he desired me, but I was out of the way when he needed to keep his perfect adviser to the Pharaoh and lover to Cassidy charade going."

"So he, what, kept you there to be his…" I started to ask but I stopped when he nodded.

"Sex slave. Yes, only he treated me like I wasn't a person. I always hated when he touched me. I hated that he forced me to have sex with him just because he had a craving to have sex and I hated that he got my body to react in ways I didn't want it to. I hated the fact that I reacted, physically, like I loved what he was doing to me when, in reality, I hated every minute of it," he told me.

I completely understood that feeling. When Brad got me to come for him, I felt vile and disgusted with myself. I felt like I was the whore he always told me I was and it made me wish I didn't exist at all. "Why did he poison you in the first place?" I whispered, shaking lightly. "What would he gain from that? Adam not being able to do his Pharaoh duties?"

"That's exactly what he wanted. The sex was just a bonus, I guess. But his plan didn't really work… Though, he made sure that I knew, every single time he saw me, that Adam didn't love me anymore. That he didn't want me and that, even if he did, he would never be able to help me. He wouldn't be able to save me or protect me…" Alexander pulled away from me and stood up slowly. He pulled the hem of his shorts down enough to reveal most of his hip.

There was a patch that looked discolored and a little marred. It didn't match the rest of his flawless skin and I stared at what I was sure were scars. If I wasn't mistaken, the marks were even indented a little. "He took that fucking knife he always carried around with him, and he carved out the "lover" tattoos that Adam had given to me," he said, tears forming in his ocean eyes. I couldn't imagine how painful a memory of that was, but it made so much sense to me now. That was the one thing that I never noticed I had that he didn't…

"Oh Ra…" I mumbled, my stomach flipping over a few times. "That's… That's so horrible…" He sat down again and I laced my arms around him, putting my head back down on his shoulder. "Why didn't you come back, Alex?"

He put his arms back around me and he rested his head atop mine. "By the time I managed to get away from Brad, he'd drilled into my head that Adam didn't care that I was gone. I didn't entirely believe it, but when I went back to the palace, I saw Adam with Tommy and I automatically assumed that Tommy was his new lover and if he was happy with Tommy, I had no right to step back into his life. When you showed up, I wasn't sure what to think, but I'd been gone for so long, I couldn't justify coming back…"

"I'm so sorry, Alex…" I whispered without really thinking about it. I felt bad, because he was ripped away from his life with Adam and it wasn't his fault. I felt that, if I was any form of decent, I would have done something for him, like release Adam from his marriage to me, but how could I really do that? I mean, Alex's happiness was important, sure, but wasn't mine also important? Not to mention all of Adam's swearing that he loved me and no one else. "I really am…"

"No, don't be. You've made Adam extremely happy and that's, really, all I could ever ask for. Plus, I've grown kind of attached to you, even if you did hate me for several weeks," he said with a weak chuckle. I smiled weakly but the lingering thoughts of Brad made it really hard to be anything but depressed or terrified.

A thick, heavy silence fell between us for a while but it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. We merely just sat there, holding one another for a while, but I knew Alex opened up to me so I would feel comfortable opening up to him too. Compared to the abuse he took, which seemed to last for a long period of time, my own suffering seemed miniscule. I felt like I didn't really have much room to complain after hearing what Alex had to say.

But I knew, if we were ever going to have a successful friendship, it had to be both ways and that needed to start now.

"Brad didn't hurt me for very long…" I told him after a while. "But the few weeks it spread out over felt like an eternity… He raped me twice, once in the library, in front of that statue Adam built for you…" I felt him tense a little and I wondered if it was because he felt like he might have let it happen to me or because he already knew that? But how would he know that? "And once in the building he kept you locked up in."

His arms tightened around me and he turned his nose into my hair. Hopefully I still smelled like a person who bathed daily. I did take a bath with Adam the night before… But I couldn't honestly say our main goal was to get clean. "Did you tell Adam?" he asked.

"Not at first… Brad said he would kill my family and I believed him. I was barely eighteen at the time and hadn't really been away from home until Adam's guards took me away. I didn't know too much about the world other than what I had learned from my parents, which wasn't much more the lower class living. Brad terrified me and then he threatened to hurt Tommy too. I felt that I couldn't put other people's lives in danger for the sake of myself being spared. That wasn't fair to anyone else," I explained, thinking about the two nights Brad had raped me. Maybe it wasn't as often as Alex's abuse, and it didn't last nearly as long, but those incidents would haunt me for the rest of my life…

"What made you tell him?" he asked, pulling back just enough to look me in the eye.

I sighed and I scooted away from Alex. A frown stretched across his lips but I merely shook my head and took my over-shirt and shear shirt off to show him the scars on my back, over the first tattoo Adam had given me. "Brad cut me during both of the rapes, like he got off on see my blood and knowing he caused it…" I told him. Alex touched the scars gently and I shivered. "These were hard enough to hide from Adam, but during the second rape, Brad cut my thighs pretty badly and, that night, Adam had requested Tommy and I in his chambers… It didn't take long for him to find those cuts." Alex's fingers traced over the scars gently for a few minutes before he pulled me back into a hug. "I tried to lie, but the distressed look on his face when I refused to talk to him… Well, I was helplessly in love with him and disappointing him hurt too much. I told him everything and that night Brad was sentenced to execution by Adam…"

"And that was that?" he asked and I sighed. I only wished that was that.

"No, that would have made life too easy. The next evening, I found my little sister dead in my bed," I told him. "Her back was cut to ribbons and she was strangled… Someone, who we never did find, killed her because Brad told him to…" Alex gasped, shaking his head.

"Ra… that's terrible…" he mumbled and I just shook my head, fresh tears bubbling up into my eyes.

"I always promised to take care of her. My father died while my mother was still pregnant with Anna. She… thought I was her Daddy. She always called me Daddy. I don't think she ever really knew that I was her father and I've been blamed for her death so many times. I blame myself for her death all the time…" I whispered, gripping Alex's shirt like I had the night he forced me to hug him, the night Adam had been poisoned.

He rubbed my back gently, trying to calm me. After so many people had done this for me, Adam, Tommy and even Cassidy and Hiei, it was like an instant relaxer. "You know Anna's death wasn't your fault, Drake. It was Brad's," he whispered, one of his hands coming up to brush my tears away.

"I… I know, but when you hear it and think it so many times, it's hard to believe that it isn't the truth…" I mumbled into his chest and he started stroking my hair.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Shhh, it's okay, Drake, it's alright," he whispered, petting my hair gently. I imagined his was just as soft and, when I looked up at him, I could see he was crying too. "Did anything else happen?"

"Well, yes… but it was mostly my own stupidity. The night before his execution, I went to see him, feeling like I needed some sort of closure. He… told me all about you, something that Adam never bothered to tell me about. He said I was nothing but your perfect replica and that Adam didn't love me. Since Adam hid you from me, I believed it, like an idiot, and I let my heartache and anger get the best of me," I told him. "I tore apart the library- and your statue- because I was angry at Adam. I wanted to hate him for using me like that, but I couldn't really hate him at all… So I ran away. I was gone for almost a week and I was almost raped, again. I would have been if Adam didn't show up in time to stop that man…" I mumbled into his shirt, gripping it tightly. I didn't really notice much in the past, but I got a lot of unwanted attention. Even before I was brought to the palace to be Adam's pleasure servant, I got the attention, I just didn't notice it before…

"Unfortunately that tends to happen to beautiful people, male or female," he whispered and he lifted my chin up to look at him. "But don't you feel better talking about all that? And to someone who actually knows what it feels like?" he asked, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. I blinked away a few more tears and I nodded, smiling back at him.

"Yeah… It does feel… really good, actually. Despite the fact that I'm ruining my make-up," I said, laughing softly.

He brushed the last clinging tears away from my cheeks. "You're beautiful enough without it, you know," he said and I blushed, glancing away from him, only to meet the bright blue eyes of our laughing Pharaoh.

"You hated him two weeks ago and now I find you two like this in the gardens?" Adam asked, kneeling down in front of us. "Is there something I should know about, because it looks like something I should definitely be involved with." I knew he was teasing but I blushed and hit him playfully anyway.

"Shut up, Adam, you're so disgusting," I said and he just laughed, taking my face in his hands and kissing me gently.

"Yes well, you fell in love with me anyway," he said. "Now come along, it's time for dinner. You can always pick up where you left off afterwards… As long as I get to watch," he said and he winked, smirking at the two of us. We both went a beat red color as we got up. I quickly pulled my shirts back on, embarrassed the entire time.

"You know I wouldn't do anything with your lover like that, not behind your back, anyway. Drake and I were just talking," Alex said in our defense and Adam just smirked again.

"It's be hot if you did do something. Like I said, I just want to watch," he teased, but I had a bad feeling that he actually would get massively turned on if he watched Alex and I going at it…


	100. Chapter 100

**Chapter Forty-Five: Welcome To My Silly Life**

 **Tommy's POV**

Despite all of the misfortune that had fluttered about the palace, it seemed that the rugs of illness were being beaten clean when Adam had finally come to from his slumber. I had thought, at the time, that Drake had been ecstatic to see me wake, but I'd never seen him so lively and free as to when Adam woke. Never had I seen such happiness in his eyes.

To be honest, I had been jealous of that moment. That moment where Drake's eyes widened in surprise and he clung to Adam for dear life, watching his lover wake from a still sleep. But I couldn't have been jealous for long, for when Adam had turned his weary eyes upon me, his face softening with happiness and love, I felt my heart melt. I felt thankful for the Gods for bringing my best friend back, and I could not be jealous of Drake's happiness over Adam.

But that had been a week ago or so. Since then, things had gotten better. Apparently Cassidy and some servant, Hiei, had gotten closer in the time that I and Adam had been asleep— and, according to Adam, they had even gotten it on once or twice. It wasn't really my place to get involved in his love life, but I thought it was rather sweet that Cassidy had found love in someone again.

Sighing softly, I curled closer on the chair I was sitting in, tuning my guitar lazily before plucking a few chords to a random song. It seemed everyone was finding love these days. In midst of all of the fever bringing people down into illness, apparently there was another fever going around… Chuckling softly to myself, I shook my head, strumming my guitar with my eyes slipped shut in peace.

Passions for people aside, guitar was a true love for me. Whenever I was in a bad mood as a child, my father would sit me down with a guitar and have me learn a new chord or a new riff to clear my head. And as I got older those chords and riffs became songs that he would have me play or that I would play on my own to get my mind off of the things that were bothering me. I wish, though, that I was so fortunate today as I had been in my youth.

But it was there, nagging in the back of my skull as I strummed a little harder, squeezing my eyes shut a little together. The thick haze of love that hung in the air of the palace, it was almost overbearing sometimes. Perhaps I was jealous of it all, having no true love to myself— considering Drake was Adam's husband— and that could have been all together possible..

Still, though, people had been finding love everywhere. For fuck's sake, Cassidy found it in a servant! And I still had mine in Drake… Who belonged to Adam just as much as Adam belonged to him. Was it so hard for the Gods to grant me some sort of solitude in having my own love? One that I didn't have to share… One that—

"Tommy?" I gasped, jumping in my seat and clinging tightly to my guitar before looking over to see who had disturbed me in the quiet of the library. My heart, which had been going a mile a minute at the sound of his voice, didn't slow any when I realized that Alex was standing a mere ten feet away from me with a few books in his arms, his eyes glinting brightly with laughter.

"Oh— Alex, hi.." I mumbled, gingerly setting my guitar aside so as to lessen the risk of potentially breaking it. Alex chuckled, shaking his head for a moment, a smile plucking at his lips.

"I apologize, I did not mean to startle you," Alex commented, setting his books down on a small side table next to the chair that I was sitting in. I inhaled slowly, shaking my head and waving him off, but my heart was still going frantic.

"It's alright. I just… I didn't hear you come in," I told him, blushing faintly. Alex smiled warmly at me, taking a seat in the chair beside me, facing me.

"You play beautifully, by the way," he admitted and I blushed, smirking over at him. It was his turn to blush, and he looked away, "I… I was gathering some books that I wanted to read and I heard you. So I decided to come listen to you play.. I— I apologize if I disturbed you at all," he said bashfully and I chuckled, shaking my head a little bit.

"It's quite alright, Alex. I was… I was just trying to clear my head," I told him, letting out a long breath, silently thanking the Gods that my heart rate was beginning to flutter down to a normal speed. If only it would stay like this, though…

"Clear it of what, if you don't mind my asking?" The brunette inquired and I glanced at him, seeing so much of Drake in him that it, truly, wasn't even funny. Was this how Adam felt every time he saw Drake? Knowing that he was staring at a beautiful young man and only seeing his old, thought-to-be-deceased lover in him? But maybe I was just fucked up, seeing the Pharaoh's husband in this man— Pharaoh's first lover…

I bit down on my bottom lip, breathing slowly, "Just… things," I said simply, not sure that I really wanted to go into the elaborate details of my envy of the romance in the palace. "Trivial things, really," I added before he could open his mouth, and Alex chuckled softly.

"I see. So what are you doing here, alone, then? Surely there are other places to play your guitar?" He suggested before his face paled some, "Not that I'm saying you _shouldn't_ play here, no, I just mean… Why here?" I smiled softly, running fingers through my hair.

"It was quiet. And open," I explained, glancing around at the vastness of the library. "Everywhere else there are people running around and taking care of chores. My room felt too closed in and…" I trailed off, thinking of the mural on my wall before letting out a breath, "and I just needed some open air without wandering too far around, you know?" I admitted, and Alex nodded once with a gentle smile.

"I understand completely.. Lately, since Adam woke up, things have been so quiet for me. I, truly, don't know what to do with myself anymore." he commented, staring off into space for a moment. I nodded once, glancing down over at my guitar. I understood that completely, too. Since Adam woke, I got less and less a chance to spend time with Drake. Cassidy was usually off with Hiei or he was helping Adam with Pharaoh duties and, in truth, I only saw Alex on occasion, like this.

But a thought came to mind in the silence of the library, and I lifted my head, turning my attention back to where Alex was sitting, beside me. "Alex?" I said after a moment and he turned back to me.

"Yes?"

"You're into the politics and the business of things, yes?" I muttered and Alex frowned for a moment before he nodded once.

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" He questioned with a chuckle and I smiled.

"Why don't you talk to Adam being his adviser, with Cassidy? I'm sure the three of you could be well onto your way to fix up Egypt in no time, right?" I suggested, and Alex's eyes went wide with shock, almost like the idea of being Adam's second adviser was an unheard of notion.

"Why would I be his adviser? Surely there are others more fit for—" Alex began, but I cut him off.

"Alex, if there was someone more fit for the job, it would have been filled a long time ago, don't you think? Besides, you know Adam. You know what he wants for Egypt and what he wants to make right. You're incredibly smart and attentive with the technical matters of business. You would be a perfect fit. Besides, I'm sure Cassidy could use the help since… Since Brad's position was opened," I explained, being as light with my words as possible. I knew the subject of that monster was a tender subject, and I didn't wish to dwell too long upon it if it made Alex uncomfortable. Ra, it made me uncomfortable enough, and I hadn't been hurt like Alex or Drake had.

Alex looked away for a brief few minutes, as if contemplating being an adviser. Personally, I thought I was right. He was perfect for the job. He wanted something to keep him busy? This was the best opportunity. Not to mention, it would keep him close to Adam without being too personal.

"I guess… It wouldn't be too bad for me to ask, right? I mean… I know Adam, probably, won't object to the idea, but what if I'm not really cut out for it?" He said softly, the concern swirling in his ocean blue eyes. I smiled faintly at him, turning in my chair to face him before reaching out, taking his hand in mine for a second.

"You'll do fine. These types of things come naturally to you, from what Adam has told me. It's as easy to you as it's easy for Drake to be an artist. Besides, if you mess up, it's not like Adam's going to chastise you eternally for it. He'll tell you that you'll get it the next time," I told him, and Alex smiled warmly at me, squeezing my hand in his. My heart did a flip before diving down into my stomach and I blushed softly, pulling my hand away. For a brief moment, I thought I saw a look of disappointment wash through Alex's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as I had thought I had seen it.

"Thank you, Tommy," he said gently and I laughed quietly, nodding my head once.

"It's not a problem, Alex. I think a little bit of work might do you some good, too. Get your mind off of things. Maybe you'll stop flirting with Drake," I teased and Alex's face went scarlet for a moment.

"I have _not_ been flirting with him!" He exclaimed and I threw my head back to laugh aloud.

"That's not what Adam told me. Didn't he find you two cuddled up together in the gardens just the other day?" I remarked and, if it was possible, Alex's face went even more red before he buried his head into the arm of the chair. I cooed softly at him, sliding from my chair before kneeling in front of his, reaching up to run my fingers through his hair. He turned slowly to face me, his hair curtained around his face perfectly.

I smiled, "You know, when you're curled up like this, it's hard to believe you're older than me," I told him and he rolled his eyes, shoving me away, playfully. I fell back onto my elbows, laughing softly as he sat up straight.

"Oh hush, Thomas," I frowned softly.

"Don't call me Thomas, Alexander!" I whined and he laughed.

"Don't call me Alexander! And don't ever tease me like that again," he retorted, nudging my side with his foot. I jerked and squeaked, laughing softly as I curled away from his foot. Alex's eyebrow rose into such a perfect arch I wondered if Drake had come in and sketched it onto his face.

"Ticklish much, Thomas?" He suggested, nudging at me again. I whined, my face going red from the sensitivity of the spot as well as being called Thomas again.

"Don't call me Thomas!" I hissed playfully and Alex just smirked, sliding from his chair to join me on the floor, his fingers flying along my sides.

"I'll stop calling you Thomas after you've learned your place," he joked, tickling me mercilessly until we were red faced and out of breath from laughing so hard.


	101. Chapter 101

**Chapter Forty-Six: Come and Feel the Heat Forever, Then Forever  
Adam's POV**

"Drake!" I called from the other side of the hall. Drake was about to walk into the dining hall for dinner, but I really wasn't feeling up to sitting through three courses when all I truly wanted to do was spend time with my husband. Since I woke up, Drake was quick to give me my position back and that had kept me pretty busy. When I actually was alone with Drake, I was too exhausted to do anything more than cuddle with him.

The fake-ginger turned to face me, startled bright blue eyes staring at me. "Oh… Oh, hi, Adam," he said, walking up to me once the shock had worn from his eyes. He had a little bit of yellow paint on his face and arm, which lead me to believe he had been locked in his studio all day. "What's wrong? Aren't you coming to dinner?" he asked, stopping in front of me and looking up into my face.

I smiled, shaking my head and looping my arm with his. "And neither are you," I told him. He frowned a little, staring up at me with a confused look on his face, but I just chuckled and kissed him gently. There was a sinful glint in my eye, I was sure. I couldn't really remember the last time I'd made love with Drake, but it had been far too long for my liking.

"Adam…" he mumbled but when his eyes met mine again his face flushed to almost perfectly match his hair.

"Spend the evening with me, without everyone else," I mumbled and buried my face into his hair, kissing his head gently. He smelled like vanilla and fresh paint, pretty usual for Drake, but it had been a while since he'd painted anything, so the old, familiar scent was comforting. Maybe things would finally start to settle… Though, the doctor did tell me about Drake's anxiety, and that worried me deeply. I wanted to make sure I did everything to make him feel like he used to, relaxed and at home.

His new found relationship with Alex left me a little confused as well. I mean, I found them cuddling in the gardens, when, nine days ago, Drake was ready to rip Alex's throat out himself. But figuring all their relationship dynamics out could wait until later. I was almost desperate to hold and touch Drake again. It was driving me crazy not being able to.

"Alright," he said, smiling softly. I kissed him gently and pulled him out of the corridor, before someone came across our path and pulled us into the dining hall for the next hour and a half. We didn't believe in fast meals here in the palace.

Instead of leading him back to our bedroom, I took him out into the gardens. We went towards the back corner of the massive garden, someplace that would be private for us. It was a beautiful day and we really shouldn't be wasting it by locking ourselves up in the palace. I wasn't too concerned about anyone being outside. They were all trying to finish their chores so they could go enjoy their own dinners. Most people didn't venture into the gardens in the evening. We should be left alone, for the most part.

I picked a scene that was pretty similar to Anna's fountain. There was a small fountain in the center of some tall shrubbery. It was mostly cut off from the rest of the garden, creating some natural privacy for us. I still wasn't too worried about someone finding us, but the cushion of comfort was nice to have, to say the least.

"Adam… Don't you think this is… a little public?" Drake asked me, sitting down on the edge of the fountain. I knelt down in front of him, smiling a little.

"Not at all," I told him. I pushed his knees apart so I could slip between his thighs, bringing me right up against him. "Nobody will come out here. Not during this hour, anyway. We'll be fine," I mumbled and I took his cheeks into my hands, kissing him gently on the lips. He moaned, his legs wrapping around my midsection and his fingers tangling into my hair.

Today he wasn't really wearing anything fancy or royal. He was wearing a pair of shorts that matched what he used to wear as my pleasure servant, only they weren't nearly as tight. I imagined they were a lot more comfortable than what I used to make him wear. His shirt was white and shear. You could see straight through it, but if he didn't have such dark tattoos, it probably wouldn't have been as much of a contrast. It hung off his shoulders, leaving them- and his neck- completely exposed and ready to be marked. It was like he was begging me to mark him.

Don't get me wrong, I think Drake looked fantastic in all the elaborate clothing he got to wear as the Pharaoh's husband, but sometimes I really missed when he looked so simple, because then his natural beauty was just so much more prominent.

Pulling away from his lips, I pressed light, barely there kisses into his jaw and neck. He moaned quietly, whining in my ear. "Adam…" I smirked into his skin.

"What, boo?" I mumbled back, pulling away to look him in the eye. They were glazed over with a very familiar desire, a very sinful one at that: Lust. My heart melted at the sight and my already half hard on was completely filled out.

"Please, Adam? I…" he blushed again, biting his lip. Ra, he was so adorable. Even though we have had sex countless times, he was still bashful and shy about the subject. He never truly failed to amaze me. He was so perfect. "Fuck, I miss you…" he mumbled after a moment.

I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Don't worry about it, baby," I whispered against his lips. "I'll make it all up to you, I promise." I could feel his skin getting hot beneath my touch, but if that was because of blushing or because of sexual excitement, I wasn't really sure. It was probably a combination of them both…

"I'm counting on it…" he mumbled, tugging gently on my hair and kissing me again. I moaned and he took that opportunity to shove his tongue into my mouth. Oh Ra, he was feeling a little feisty today… Then he definitely wasn't going to be happy with what I had planned for him. He'd want rough and fast paced, but he wasn't going to get it. Not tonight, anyway.

Regardless, I sucked on his tongue. He moaned into my mouth and I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach. I mentally smirked, because it really didn't take much to get turned on, but this? This might have been a record. Eventually I forced his tongue back into his mouth with my own and I pulled away from the kiss. He whined his protests, but I hushed him and slipped my hands under his shirt.

"Relax baby," I whispered, pushing the light fabric up his torso, revealing beautiful- but not obnoxious- abs and a just as finely toned chest. His nipples were bubbled up into half hardness, like they were teasing me… Fuck. "I'm going to take good care of you today, alright?"

He whined again, his eyes a little wide after I tugged his shirt over his head, making his hair poof out a little. "Last time you said that to me, I almost died by how slow you were going," he said, a little bit of fear flashing through his arousal. "You're going to do that to me again, aren't you? You're going to drive me crazy tonight, aren't you?" he asked, swallowing as I tossed his shirt off to the side. I really didn't even see where it landed. Nor did I care.

"I suppose you're just going to have to take whatever I give you, huh?" I mused, reaching down to nudge him through his shorts. He gasped, his jaw falling open and his hips pushing up into my hand.

"Fuck you…" he growled at me as I started to unfasten his shorts. I couldn't really help the laugh that escaped my lips.

"Fuck me? No, no, Baby, you've got that a little backwards. It's more like fuck you," I whispered, pressing a few gentle kisses to the side of his neck. He lifted his hips from the fountain's edge so I could tug his shorts off. They were a lot easier to get off that his pleasure servant shorts used to be, that was for sure.

"You're an ass," he mumbled, and I had to swallow my laughter. He was just too perfect…

"Yes, well, you love me anyway," I mumbled into his ear before I hooked my teeth onto the lobe, nibbling and sucking on it. Drake moaned a little too loudly. He must have been missing being touched, because he was a little over sensitive tonight.

"You know I love you, you big jerk," he said, pulling his ear away from my mouth. He tried to push me back a little, but I didn't budge. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his hips and pulled him off of the fountain edge, laying him down in the grass next to the water feature instead. He stared up at me with wide, lust-filled eyes. "Adam…" he mumbled, letting his eyes fall closed for a moment. Ecstasy was already written all over his face and I hardly touched him at all. "You know I hate when you strip me and refuse to get naked yourself…"

"Oh?" I asked, quite amused. "And what exactly are you going to do about it, Drake?" He opened his eyes again and he growled at me, sitting up on his elbows.

"Strip, or I won't have sex with you at all," he said. What a total bluff. He was just as desperate as I was.

"I don't really think that will work out for you, baby," I whispered, nudging between his legs. He gasped, arching off of the grass for a moment. "Any more empty threats?"

"It's not _empty_!" he exclaimed. "I can have an orgasm without you!"

"Yes, that's true, but I do not really believe your orgasm would be nearly as great without me…" I mused, bending down to kiss him again. To humor him, I tugged my shirt off, throwing it off to the side somewhere.

"You're sure full of yourself," Drake mumbled, sitting up enough to tug my trousers down. I shimmied out of the loose fitting material without too much issue and Drake instantly wrapped his legs around my waist, pulling me close enough to grind right up against his ass. "It's kind of a huge turn on, really…" he admitted, smirking up at me.

"With the looks of pure ecstasy you give me? I think I have a reason to be so full of myself," I retorted, smirking down at his blushing face. I kissed him gently again, licking his cheek gently and grinding into his hips. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut.

He opened his mouth, probably to plead with me. I could already tell how much he wanted me, but we hadn't really done this is a while, so I didn't want to push too far with him. I'd at least open him up a little first, so, before he was able to get a word out, I slipped two of my fingers into his mouth. His eyes fluttered open for just a minute before he sucked on them, slipping his tongue around and between them, slicking them up with his saliva.

After a moment, I pulled them out and slipped my hand between out bodied and between his thighs. "Adam…" he whimpered, arching as I ran the two fingers against his entrance. A loud whine fell off of his lips and I just smiled at him, tracing his entrance teasingly for a few moments. "P-please…" His voice was already dripping with heated want and his eyes reflected that need. I couldn't really deny him of what he wanted, so I slipped the two fingers into him, scissoring him and stretching him out. He was tight, tighter than usual. I would even go as far as to say that this was something like how he felt when he was a virgin. The thought of fucking such a tight hole sent more blood rushing down to my already-flushed-and-angry erection and I wanted to just get into him, but he was too tight to just slam into.

On normal occasions, Drake was tight, but not tight enough to make me worry about hurting him. Not having sex for so long had left him rather tight and I was a little worried. Maybe I should have grabbed the lube before bringing him out here. I knew he didn't have the ability to be patient enough for me to go get it, and really, I don't think I could have left him at the moment. We'd just have to make do with what we had.

"Adam…" Drake mumbled as I slipped in a third and fourth finger, practically fisting him. "Adam, please!" He cried, tugging on my hair sharply. I moaned, biting down into his neck to make what I was sure would be an instant hickey. I punched into him, pulling a strangled cry from his lips. I was sure I'd hit that spot that drove him crazy and I pulled my fingers, out, unable to really wait anymore.

I spit into my hand a few times, slicking my member up as much as I possibly could without any real lube. Drake was whining, shaking with pleasure and watching him for too long made me feel like I was going to come undone just from how beautiful his face was.

"Adam!" he cried. "Please stop worrying about hurting me!" Drake was young and he didn't like waiting, which didn't really bother me at all. Our rough and quick paced sex scenes were always amazing, but teasing the fuck out of him was also great. Tonight, I was deciding on the latter. Drake wouldn't like me being so slow and gentle with him, because he was in the mood for me to fuck his brains out, but I wanted tonight to be a little more special than that. He may curse at me right now, but he would be thanking me by the end of the night, I was sure.

"Alright, baby," I whispered, pressing my lips to his. I took his hips into my hands and lined myself up with his entrance, sliding into him teasingly. His legs tightened around my waist, trying to pull me deeper, but I only allowed myself to slip in an inch and a half or so. He whined loudly and I hushed him with another kiss.

This was something I'd never really done with Drake, but I used to do it to Tommy all the time. Shallow thrusting, barely an inch or two in. I obviously wasn't hitting that pleasure spot, but the shallow teasing was always enough to drive Tommy wild. I wanted to do the same for Drake, but Drake was one to give me a hard time about it, so I made sure to keep my lips pressed firmly to his so he wouldn't be able to protest me much.

After four or five shallow thrusts, Drake was moaning and panting into my mouth. The noises he was making were some of the filthiest I'd heard in a long time, but it made it hard for me not to just slam into him, drilling him over and over. I wasn't going to fuck his brains out, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow night, but not tonight. Definitely not tonight.

Drake tugged on my hair, breaking out kiss. "Adam! Adam, _please_!" he cried, but I merely smiled and reached up to my hand, untangling Drake's fingers from the dark locks. I laced our fingers together and laid both of Drake's hands next to his head, our palms pressed flat against one another.

"Just relax, boo, please. Let me take care of you," I whispered, kissing him gently. He whined as I gave him a few more shallow thrusts, pulling a soft cry from his lips each and every time. When I finally did slip all the way into him, Drake's eyes went wide and he practically screamed in ecstasy. His legs remained tight around my midsections, crying out of every slow, hard thrust I offered him. This wasn't rushed, no, it was slow and it was passionate, but it was also _hard_ , which was something we both enjoyed. I used to try to be gentle with Drake, but he was just such a dirty fucker, it was hard to control myself with him. It was extremely hard to believe that three years ago Drake had never so much as kissed another person.

Drake squeezed my hands hard and he rocked his hips up against mine. I knew he was close. He was dangerously close, and when I hit that spot and the right angle, he did scream. His eyes were screwed shut in ecstasy and I knew he was going to come without me even touching him. I was close to my own undoing, as well.

"Adam… Fuck! Adam, I'm… Ra! I'm going to- I can't- I… AdAHH!" he cried as I drilled into that spot again. It only took another stab to that sweet spot for Drake to arch as deeply as he possibly could. He came, hot and hard all over our stomachs and chests. A little even flew up to hit him on the face and hair. I couldn't remember the last time Drake came quite so hard. He may not have liked the slow pace very much because he liked it fast and rough, but going slow with him always gave him a bigger- and longer- orgasm.

Just watching his face contort into pure pleasure was enough for me. I didn't even thrust into him again, I just came, buried deeply inside of him. Drake's eyes went wide for a moment before he slumped back into the grass, exhaustion setting in. "Ra, I love you…" he whined, still holding my hands tightly. "I love you…" he whined again.

"I love you too, Boo," I said tiredly, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. I didn't even bother pulling out him before I collapsed on top of him.


	102. Chapter 102

**Chapter Forty-Seven: And From Your Lips, He Drew The "Hallelujah"…**

 **Alexander's POV**

Eyes fluttering open, I stared up at the high-vaulted ceiling of my room, the morning sunlight washing through the open window on the eastern wall and casting a warm glow across the sea of furniture and architecture. The fair and few shadows that lingered were soft in their ambience and I yawned softly, stretching my arms above my head before letting them rest against my pillow. Part of me didn't feel like getting out of bed, but at the same time I knew I couldn't stay in all day.

Despite wanting to stay in bed, I was well rested and satisfied with the sleep I had gotten the night before. I had gone to bed shortly after dinner, knowing full and well that by the absence of the Pharaoh and his Husband that they were off with their own private duties, no doubt. I had no reason to question or envy their actions, but that didn't mean I had no right to be curious on my own terms, right? Wasn't everyone curious at some point or another?

I tried not to let it dwell too heavily upon me while I tried to sleep, but it was inevitable. I'd dreamt, quite vividly, that I was a bystander looking upon Adam and Drake making such sweet love.. The kind of love Adam used to make to me when we had been in love, years ago. I was watching from the wings, almost, as my once-lover made the young man writhe in ecstasy before Adam looked over his shoulder at me.

His eyes, in this dream, drew me to him. He pulled me forward with a sinful glint in his eye, his lips parted and reddened from kiss as he settled me between him and Drake. His lips dragged themselves along my back and my shoulders, teasing my neck as he forced himself into me, forcing me into Drake. It was a strange feeling, fucking and being fucked at the same time. I could remember, clearly, Drake's eyes going wide with pleasure as he moaned, mine and Adam's names rolling off his tongue in whispers.

Adam would thrust, forcing me into suit to thrust into Drake, who pushed back against me and I pushed back against Adam. And so this rhythm kept its pace before building harder and faster, and it was no longer Adam leading but each of us moving independently with one another. I pushed into Drake and he pushed back, taking me deep. And when I pulled out, Adam pushed deep into me, nailing me before I nailed Drake. We had been just on the verge of coming when I woke, dead in the night, panting and sweating with my release sticking my blanket to my hips.

Needless to say I'd cleaned up quickly before going back to sleep and had not dreamed further of such things.

But why had I dreamed of that? Why had I dreamed of being so passionate with the Pharaoh and his Husband when neither of them held me in such a way that I, truly, _desired_ to be passionate with them? True, I loved Adam dearly and I always would, and there was a part of me that was a little protective and emotionally close to Drake in ways that not many people would ever understand. I believed that, because of this connection, that part of me loved Drake as well.

It was so strange, though. The strangeness and the erotica made me blush and I covered my face with my arms for a moment before letting them fall back to my sides as I sighed softly. I doubted that I would ever confront Adam or Drake with the knowledge of this dream, knowing of the embarrassment it would leave upon me. Not to mention, I didn't want to give Adam any bright ideas for the future. That man was perverted enough; he didn't need my help.

Tossing the blanket aside, I pulled myself from the comforts of my bed, sliding down onto the floor before crossing, naked, to the wardrobe just off to the northern side of my room. I never liked sleeping with clothes, to be honest. Clothes made everything restricted, hot and uncomfortable. Though, in my time with Bradley, I wore as many clothes as possible at night because I didn't want to be… given a rude awakening, needless to say.

A shiver rolled down my spine and, for a moment, I felt a phantom sensation of that filthy man's hands all over me, the blade of his Ra-forsaken knife digging into my hips, his lips panting hot, dirty breaths into my ear as he ravaged my soul… My throat sealed up as I reached for the handle of the wardrobe doors, leaning heavily against the wood before pulling them open. Reaching inside, I pulled a pair of loose fitting white trousers and a white, off-the-shoulder shirt with gold trim.

Tugging them on, I crossed to my vanity before sitting down to glance at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a little disheveled, but after running my fingers through it, I managed to untangle the knots and smooth it out some, letting it hang in waves around my face. I touched up the circles under my eyes with a light powder, smudging liner around my eyes before standing from the small seat at my vanity. I didn't bother with shoes as I left the confines of my room.

I wasn't sure where I wanted to go or what I would do once I got to wherever it was my feet were carrying me, but I found myself not really caring. It didn't matter where I went, really, as long as I enjoyed the time I spent getting there, right? Even in the silence of this late morning walk, there was a lingering peace that I hadn't felt in a long time.

How long had it been since I'd felt peace? How long had it been since I'd felt safe and at home somewhere? The servants had finally stopped mistaking me for Drake and Drake for me; they knew how to differentiate the young King and the old lover. People no longer gave me concerned looks for the fact that I was supposed to be dead or that I had caused a bit of an uproar between the Pharaoh and his Husband.

I'd felt it the day I'd been brought to this very palace when I was eighteen to be Adam's pleasure servant. I'd been a gift to him from his father, which was strange considering his father, later, didn't approve of our relationship. But hadn't he seen it coming when he gifted me to Adam in the first place? Hadn't he expected it when Adam made no notion to find a Queen to bear his children?

I lost it the day I awoke in the small house that Brad had taken me to. I lost it for those three years of rape, abuse and torture that I felt. I lost it for believing in the word of a traitor. I lost it for losing faith in Adam's love in me, and when I finally escaped, I thought I would never have it back. I thought I would never have that euphoria of being accepted and valued. Wanted so fiercely back into something like the life that I used to have.

But I had it. And I didn't want to let go of it.

I'd just turned a corner, heading down a hallway when I heard the soft strumming of a familiar guitar. I smiled, pausing in mid-step as I listened to the serenading strings being plucked to play their sweet melody. I turned, crossing the hallway, listening as the music got louder and louder as I neared Tommy's door. I'd only been to his room a handful of times, and it was a wonder that I remembered where it was at all because of the massiveness of the palace. But I had a funny knack for retaining information of places I'd been, even if I'd only been there once or twice.

I curled my hand into a fist, knocking gently on the wood of Tommy's door. His voice was soft as he muttered for me to enter, and I gripped the handle, pushing the door open slowly. He continued playing, lifting his head long enough to see me before he smiled brightly. "Good morning, Alex," he said gently, his fingers dancing in a slow swing down the neck of the guitar.

"Good morning, Tommy," I said back, letting his door click shut as I stepped further into the room. He motioned for me to sit at the foot of his bed— he was sitting at the head— and I nodded once, taking my place across from him. I watched as he bent his head over his guitar again, getting back into a rhythm of playing before his back straightened out. His strumming and plucking grew faster and it wasn't until he was strumming hard and beautifully that I noticed his eyes were closed and he seemed to be humming along.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him as he played something that was hard and passionate while also being melancholy before it faded out to serene and warm. The silence was deafening when he stopped and I smiled brightly at him, my heart thudding a thousand beats per minute as I clapped quietly.

"That was beautiful," I murmured, the admiration heavy like sugar in my tone and Tommy blushed faintly, shoving his hair out of his face.

"Thanks, Alex."

"Did you write that?" He blushed a little further, nodding once.

"Yeah, I did. Well, sort of. I will write it down at some point. Right now it's all up here," he commented, tapping his temple with the pad of his fingertip with a gentle smirk toying at his lips. I laughed softly, letting my eyes drop to the guitar that was sitting in his lap. The polished wood was gleaming with a delicious red— cherry, perhaps?— in the light, hieroglyphics etched and glazed over in the surface of music and freedom, expression and life. I smiled more.

"Where'd you get the inspiration for it?" I asked him, and Tommy's eyes wavered over to the wall that held the door I'd entered through. I glanced over in the direction that he was gazing, seeing a beautiful, bright mural painted onto the surface. Rich washes of gold and orange with hues of rose painting a beautiful sunset with a music staff in bold black waving in and out of the clouds. I gasped softly, something in my mind and my heart telling me I knew exactly who painted it.

"Drake made that for me shortly after he and Adam confessed their love for one another," there was a touch of sadness in his tone that made me frown slightly, "and every time I look at this painting I think of all of the things Drake has done for me and all of the ways he expresses his own love for me. Sometimes it makes me happy, sometimes it makes me long for him. But there are times where I look upon it and I feel so inspired to the point that I could, literally, burst with the need to create," his words sounded familiar, and I realized that Drake had said something similar to me after a walk he had through the gardens.

"So, I picked up my guitar and I started playing. And what you heard was the result of my inspiration," he finished and I looked back over at him, smiling warmly from ear to ear at him.

"And what would you call this result?" I inquired and he smiled faintly.

" _Aftermath_ ," he mused gently, "I… I even thought of words, to go along with it. But I can't sing to save my life, so, I figured, once I have it all written down… I'll play and Adam can sing.. and it can be like my gift back to Drake for all he's done for me," I nodded once, glancing first at his guitar and then over at the painting.

"I'm sure he'll love it," I told him, a twist of jealousy gripping my heart and clenching my throat, but I swallowed the lump and smiled softly at Tommy. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head before bending over his guitar again, plucking strings to make a beautiful melody of whispers and hymns, almost, and I sighed quietly.

"I wish I could play like that," I admitted without really thinking about it, and Tommy looked up at me before tossing his head to the side, sending his hair out of his face again, his fingers never stopping for an instant.

"It's not hard. It just takes a lot of practice, you know?" He commented and I chuckled, nodding once. I knew. For some people, things came naturally, but the only way to perfect it was through practice.

I watched for a moment longer before Tommy smiled up at me, his fingers still dancing and plucking away, "Would you like to learn?" He offered and I blushed faintly, nodding once. He stopped playing and I had to fight the whine as he motioned for me to come closer to him. I did as I was told, sitting more in the middle of his bed as he moved to sit behind me. His back was against the wall and he had me pulled up against his chest. He reached around me, resting the guitar in my lap, letting it rest comfortably before he took my hands, bringing my left up to the neck of the guitar and my right across the body, my fingers resting along the strings.

"Do you know anything of music at all?" He asked and I bit down on my bottom lip, my face heating up at the closeness that we shared with Tommy's arms around me and his breath trailing into my ear and over my shoulder.

"Somewhat. I learned a little as a child. My mother tried teaching me piano, but I wasn't terribly interested in art then," I explained, and I felt Tommy nod behind me.

"Can you play me an A?" He inquired and I gnawed on my bottom lip before moving down the third string and plucking it once. Tommy chuckled and my face flamed. "Close, but not quite," he said, palming a hand over mine on the neck as he brought my hand up barely half an inch to the second string as opposed to the third, letting my hand hover over the spot, "it's this one," he guided my right hand to pluck the string, the sound coming off a little lower, a little softer.

"Here, move your right hand for a moment," I did as I was told and I watched Tommy replace it with his own right hand, his callused fingers positioned at the ready as he guided my left hand, "this is an E," he plucked, and there was a gentle low hum, "this is an A, as you know," he moved my hand down, gently letting my finger hover over the second string before he plucked it, "D," move, pluck, "G," another move before a pluck, soft and somewhat high, "B," pluck, "and, finally, another E," pluck, nice and high but sweet.

I smiled softly as he told me to play a G, and I did as I was told. He had me pluck each string before giving me a new challenge, "Play me a G chord," I frowned, glancing over my shoulder at him with worry. He laughed, palming my hand tenderly, "Chords are set up based on notes and frets. Frets are these spaces there between the lines— or the nuts," he explained, pressing my index finger into the second fret on the A string, "hand position is key for playing guitar, as it is with any instrument that requires your hands," middle finger, placed on the E string in the third fret, "and it's not uncommon for there to be some discomfort when playing at first. Your hand will be in positions and placements it's not used to, but over time it gets easier," ring finger on the high E string in the third fret.

True to his word, my hand was starting to nit-pick at me for being positioned like this, but I held through until he took hold of my right hand again, bringing it back to the hollow of strings. He guided me, strumming once to made a beautiful, clean sound and I grinned softly, "Congratulations, Alex, you've played your first chord," he said and I laughed softly, relaxing my hand to grip the neck of the guitar loosely as I looked over my shoulder at Tommy.

Without even thinking, I leaned back, pressing a kiss to his cheek as a way of expressing my gratitude for taking the time to teach me this lesson. When I pulled away, Tommy's face was written with a look of shock and even a touch of tender awe. My heart skipped a beat as his eyes wandered from mine to my lips before climbing back to mine again.

Slowly, he leaned forward the few short inches between us, pressing his lips to mine in a gentle, chaste kiss. The contact set my skin on fire and I moaned quietly, feeling his fingers slide between those of mine that were wrapped around the neck of the guitar, filling in the spaces like he was meant to be there. I reached up with my right hand, palming his face delicately as he kissed me again, a little harder, a little hotter. His tongue trailed along the seam of my lips and I, graciously, parted them to let him in, moaning at the rich taste of his tongue on mine. Tommy moaned into my mouth, his hair tickling my face as he pushed closer to me, kissing me harder.

Moaning loudly, Tommy and I pulled away from each other, breathing hard as we stared into one another's eyes. The connection felt like eternity shoved into a matter of a second or two before Tommy pushed the guitar out of my lap and out of harm's way, turning me in his arms to face him. My knees nestled themselves between his thighs as my hands flew up to cup his cheeks, and I leaned forward, slamming my mouth over his into another fiery kiss.


	103. Chapter 103

**Chapter Forty-Eight: I Need a Doctor to Bring Me Back to Life  
Hiei's POV**

A few days ago, Cassidy and I had been cuddling after making love. He kept sweeping his hands over my hips which was kept pulling soft giggles from my lips. I was laughing and giggling at every touch because my hips were extremely ticklish and when I finally told him to stop and asked him why he was touching me like that, he smiled and kissed me gently on the lips. He went into a long explanation of the tattoos Adam and Drake had and shared with each other. They were the same tattoos that he had on his hips. They were for Brad, before his betrayal was made known.

He told me how much he loved me. He said it over and over again, complimenting each statement with a kiss. When he told me how much he wanted to share his tattoos with me, I couldn't really say no. He kept kissing me and he slid over me, kissing me over and over again. We made love again and all I could really think about was giving myself to Cassidy for a third time. Emotionally, I was Cassidy's, physically I was Cassidy, and now? Now we were going to share the tattoos of "lover". He was actually getting his original tattoos redone, not because they needed to be touched up or anything, but to symbolically give himself to me. He said he didn't want his tattoos to be for Brad anymore and he was willing to go through the pain again to give himself to me.

A few days ago, it seemed like a good idea. I was happy to say yes, but if that was because Cassidy was making such sweet love to me, or because I truly desired the tattoos, I wasn't entirely sure. The inks man was here already, though, and I couldn't really say no after he travelled all the way to the palace. According to Cassidy, he had done all of Adam and Drake's ink work. They both sported beautiful inking, so I hoped mine would turn out just as beautiful.

Cassidy had also talked me into a tattoo design on my back, one that he designed himself. There was an ankh to be placed on the middle of my lower back, with hieroglyphics spread out to the sides, making promises of love and devotion to me. It was a beautiful tattoo, almost like the ink that both Drake and Tommy sported across their shoulder blades. I had a hard time tell Cassidy no for anything. He was just too important to me. Not to mention, when he pouted, it was almost impossible to resist him. He was just too damned beautiful. Little fucker.

Or should I say big fucker?

Now I was sitting with Cassidy, watching the inks man set up his inks. When he began pulling out his needles, I was getting a little anxious. I didn't like the idea of getting stabbed with a needle over and over again, but I knew I was going to sit and deal with it. I asked Drake about it. He said it hurt like no other, but he also said that he was a pansy, so I would probably be okay. I didn't really believe Drake was that week, especially considering his sex life. He could take pain. Maybe three years ago, he couldn't… I wasn't entirely sure, I just prayed to Ra that I could handle the pain just as well as anyone else, hopefully better.

"Are you alright, baby?" Cassidy whispered, wrapping an arm around my soon to be marked waist. He pressed a gentle kiss into my hair before kissing my neck and nipping at my jaw. I whimpered quietly, nudging him in the side to keep him from getting us both hot and bothered.

"Yes, I'm fine," I told him, although I was a little worried about what was about to happen. I had a high tolerance for pain, but that didn't mean I enjoyed pain. Then again, nothing could really hurt as much as losing your virginity did, right? Ra, I hoped so.

"Nerves?" he whispered into my ear and I whimpered softly. He chuckled softly. "Are you afraid of the pain or the ink itself?" he asked. He sounded like he was teasing me, but I could hear the underlying worry in his tone. He didn't want my rejection. I wasn't going to reject his tattoos of love. I'd already given myself to Cassidy completely.

"Just the pain," I said, leaning into him and resting my head against his shoulder. "I love you and I'm not afraid of what these tattoos mean, I just don't like dealing with pain… How long is this going to hurt for, exactly? And how long does it take to get the tattoos anyway?"

"A couple of hours," he said, pulling me into his lap and holding me tightly against his chest. "But I'll be there the entire time to hold your hands." He kissed my cheek gently and then he nibbled on my ear. I moaned quietly, pulling my ear away from his mouth. "And once your inking is over, you get to hold my hand, because I can't deal with pain to save my life. You'll probably look like a big, strong man compared to me today," I couldn't really fight the laugh. Cassidy always seemed to strong and firm, but the idea of him being the "smaller man" as some say, was funny as all get out.

"Well, if you can do this again, then so can I," I told him. "I love you and I've already given you everything. A few tattoos don't scare me." He smiled at me, kissing me gently. "But you don't have to get your tattoos re-inked, Cassidy. I love you and I know that those marks aren't for Brad anymore. I know that you love me and I know that you'll always think of those marks as mine and not Brad's." My tone was quiet, compassionate and Cassidy turned to look me in the eyes, his shining with tears.

"They will always be yours, Hiei, but I want to do this," he said, pressing his lips to mine in a sweet, chaste kiss. "I need to do this for us both. You're my lover and my life now. I need to let go of Brad completely…"

I couldn't help but smile at him. I knew Brad crushed his heart and, until we had grown so close, he didn't have a will to love anymore. Brad ruined that for him. And, for what I learned about Brad, I couldn't really say I blamed Cassidy in the slightest. While Cassidy was in their bed, loving Brad and trusting him completely, Brad was raping first Alex and then Drake years later. Brad had tried to overthrow Adam's position so he could take over the position as the Pharaoh of Egypt. He wanted to ruin everything that Adam had built up. Brad was one seriously fucked up bastard…

"Cassidy? Hiei?" the inks man said, coming over to us. He was a kind looking, older gentleman. "I'm all set up, whenever you're ready to start." He smiled at us and Cassidy's arms tightened around me before, pushing me up gently.

"I think we're all set," he said to the man. "Hiei will be going first." The man chuckled; nodding a little and he lead us over to where he had set up his various inks and needles. Cassidy had me sit down in a soft padded chair, letting me recline in a little. The older man handed me a towel and I blinked him, confused.

"You'll need to take your shorts off so he can get full access to your hips. The towel is to stay covered up," Cassidy whispered into my ear and I blushed softly, squirming out of my shorts and pulling the towel around the lowest portion of my hips.

As promised, the two hip tattoos, as well as the one on my back, took only two and a half hours. They were in brilliant greens and blacks. The old man held a mirror up so I could see the one on my back and it was gorgeous, well worth the pain. I'd held onto Cassidy's hands tightly the entire time. Being repeated stabbed with a needle was really not as fun as it sounded, shocking as that was.

"You alright, baby?" Cassidy asked me and I smiled sheepishly. I was sure I was a little pale, in fact, I was feeling a little light headed. "Hiei?"

"I'm fine," I said, chuckling lightly. "I'm fine. It hurts a little but I'm fine. Okay, it hurts a lot, but… losing my virginity to you hurt a lot worse, so I'm not complaining much. You think you're ready for this?"

Cassidy laughed softly, sounding a little nervous. "Well, no, not really… but I might as well get it over with."

"You know you don't have to do this, Cass. I won't be mad, you know that," I said to him, kissing him gently over the back of the chair. I had turned so my stomach was pressed into the back, giving the inks man access to my back. "I won't hold it against you."

"I already told you, I want to do this, I'm just going to look like a little girl while doing it," he muttered, standing up to help me out of the chair. It hurt to move at certain angles, but the pain was more like an annoying throb. I took his chair and he sat down in my place, his hips completely exposed for the older man.

"Give me your hands, baby," I said. He smiled and laced his fingers with me, leaning up to kiss me gently. I kissed him back and it wasn't until he moaned in pain that our kiss broke. It took about another hour for the man to completely recover the old tattoos that Cassidy had gotten for Brad. Cassidy's eyes were squeezed shut the entire time; tears leaking down the sides of his face. He really didn't handle pain very well. I wondered if he'd ever let someone make love to him before and if he was able to handle that better than he handled this.

"Alright," the kind old man said, standing up straight. "You're all finished. Just give them a few days to heal and you both should be fine," he said, smiling at us like we were the best of friends. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have another appointment to get to. It was a pleasure working for you and if ever require me again, please don't hesitate to call me up."

"Thank you, Sir," Cassidy muttered, sitting up straight and blinking away the majority of his tears. "We will definitely be calling on you again, I'm sure." He stood up and shook hands with the man. He bid us a final farewell before he turned and left.

"So?" I asked, slowly standing up, trying to be cautious of my newest pains. "How do you feel, baby?"

"Renewed…" Cassidy said, wrapped his arms around me in a hug, mindful of the freshest ink on my back. "I feel like… Well, this is going to sound so fucking cheesy, but I feel like I've completely washed Brad off of me and I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you and be happy with you." I grinned like a love struck idiot and Cassidy mirrored that grin. "And how do you feel, Baby?" he asked me.

I blushed softly, glancing down at the dark greenish-black tattoos on my hips. "I've never felt so right, Cassidy. I've never really felt like I belonged somewhere before. I know that this is where I should be and that your arms are where I want to be," I told him, wrapping my arms around my neck and pressing my lips to his in a loving, passionate kiss. "I've never felt so in love, to be completely honest. I love you, so much…"

"I know that isn't an easy thing for you to admit to me, and I'm so glad that you can, because I love you too and I don't think I can let go of you…" he whispered back, pressing his lips to mine again.


	104. Chapter 104

**Chapter Forty-Nine: I'm Unashamed, I'm Gonna Show My Scar**

 **Drake's POV**

I sat with my chest pressed against the back of the chair, my chin tucked neatly on top of my arms as the elderly inksman— whose name I'd finally learned to be Angelo— did a few fleeting touch ups on the tattoo on my back. He wasn't completely covering the whole thing, no. Just the parts that had been marred by the scars that Brad left. When I'd showed it to him, his face expressed his distress at his work and for me, but he said that it wouldn't take any more than half an hour to fix up and make perfect again.

Initially, I had called upon Angelo to get the touch up because it had been something that I was neglecting for a long time. Between simply forgetting to my marriage to Adam and Tommy falling sick, it had been on the back burner of my mind. But when Hiei had approached me with questions on the intensity of the pain from inking, the idea struck back to me almost instantly. However, when he told me just what he was getting inked, something else came to mind for me.

Adam's thirty-fourth birthday was only two days away, and I hadn't thought of what to get him or do for him for it. Sure, I had no doubt in mind that there was going to be a lot of sex involved, but I wanted to do something special. Something that we would have for forever. And when Hiei said he was getting the lover tattoos and, perhaps, something else, I knew what I wanted to do.

"Almost done, Drake. I just need to do this last bit on the wing here. Unfortunately it's on the bone, so try to relax," Angelo murmured, and I hummed in response, letting the tension out of my body as best as I could. Fortunately, the pain wasn't nearly so bad this time since it was in a smaller dose and not all gathered together. It was more discomforting than agonizing, like it had been the first time. But, sure enough, when Angelo started touching up along my shoulder blade, I forced myself to bite down onto my arm, groaning softly.

In a few moments he was done, and I sighed a breath of relief. Angelo walked around me, setting the needle and the inks down before turning towards me, a small smile on his face, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?" He asked, and I chuckled quietly, nodding once.

"Yes, one more thing… As you, probably, know, Adam's birthday is in a few days, and.. I wanted to give him something a little special," I told him, standing from the chair. Pain lingered in my back, but it wasn't so terrible that I wasn't able to move, like the first time. I crossed to his table, lifting my sketch pad into my hands before flipping it open to a small design that I had made. It was Adam's full name in hieroglyphics, surrounded by a long, thin oval-like stone shape. Above his name was the Eye of Horus in brilliant blues and greens. The stone was a warm gold, and Adam's name in a deep, sea blue.

Angelo's eyes widened softly as he took the pad from my hands, staring at it for a moment with a smile stretching across his lips, "This is magnificent. And where would you like it done?" He inquired and I blushed faintly.

"On the inside of my thigh, if that's not too much trouble?" I asked, and he laughed, shaking his head.

"No trouble at all. Just get changed and I'll get the inks ready. It should only take about an hour." I nodded once, turning to hurry back into mine and Adam's chamber. Adam was at some sort of meeting with Cassidy and a few other council members from neighboring countries. I opted to stay out of it despite being the Pharaoh's Husband. I had told Adam that I had other things that I wanted to take care of today. In truth, I really just didn't want to go.

Quickly, I changed from my pants to a pair of loose fitting shorts, crossing back out to the balcony where Angelo was comparing inks and colors, even mixing up the right shades of blue and green for me. I sat back down in the chair, rolling up the leg of the left side of my shorts to my groin, shivering as a cool wind kissed my skin.

Angelo came back to me, kneeling down in front of me before gently grabbing my leg, turning it so that he could get a clear view of the inside of my thigh. I bit down on my lip, looking away from him as his thumb trailed over the light scars in my skin. No doubt he had heard the soft rumors of Pharaoh's late advisor hurting one of his boys, and he'd made the connection between the rumor and my scars. But he didn't say anything about it as he glanced down at the sketch that was lying beside him before he pressed the needle to the baby fat of my thigh, beginning the process.

If anything, this inking tickled some. It didn't hurt because it wasn't near the bone, and there was just enough muscle with a light touch of fat that added as a sort of cushion to the nerves that might've been sensitive. I reclined a little in the chair as he changed needles and inks, letting myself relax as he did the gold of the stone tablet before making quick work to ink in the Eye. Sunlight washed over my skin and soft breezes rustled my hair, but it was all gentle and relaxing. Angelo was silent as he worked, his hand soft and warm against my leg.

There was a brief pause before Angelo continued easily stabbing the needle into my skin, and I knew that he was beginning to work on actually writing out Adam's name. I draped an arm over my face, letting my right palm sit, relaxed, on my stomach. On occasion the tickling sensation felt more like pricks and bites, and I ended up chewing on the inside of my cheek a little before he pulled away again. "Alright, Drake," he said, "all finished.

I dropped my arm and looked down at the tattoo that rested into my skin. The paleness of my thigh was painted a soft red from being stabbed at, but the colors were brilliant and perfect. It looked like Angelo had made a carbon copy of my drawing right into my skin, and I grinned ear to ear. It was absolutely perfect.

"Thank you, Angelo," I said, reaching forward to wrap my arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. Angelo made a startled noise before laughing and hugging me back. I pulled away, embarrassed, as he started to clean up.

"It was no trouble, Drake. I enjoyed working with you," he said simply, smiling as he gathered up his inks and took them back to the table. Standing from the chair, I snatched my sketch off of the ground, clutching it to my side as he spoke, "I'd give it a day or two to heal, but you should be fine walking around and what not." I nodded once to him as he carefully placed everything into his bag.

"Thank you, again, Angelo," I murmured and he shook his head, waving me off.

"No need, Drake. It was a pleasure. Call me if you desire anything else," he said and I nodded once, watching him disappear through mine and Adam's chamber and out the door on the other side of the room. I sighed softly, smiling brilliantly to myself as I walked back into the room, setting my sketchpad onto the vanity, closing it up before grabbing my shirt off of the back of the chair. It was shear, gold in color and practically weightless. I tugged it on over my head, unfolding the left leg as I walked out of the chamber and into the hallway.

I turned on my heel, making my way down the hall for a little aimless roaming. I passed by bedrooms and storage closets, servant boys and girls who were tending to their chores. They smiled at me, and I nodded to them in return, feeling light as a feather and calm as the sea. Part of me wanted to find Adam and show him the tattoo, but I knew that I could not. Not tonight, anyway.

Turning a corner, I saw Alex coming down from the library and I stopped, smiling at him. He seemed to be deep in thought for a moment until his eyes fell on me and he smiled back. But there was something in his eyes that was strange. A curiosity that burned like lusty pleasure, and a shiver went spiraling down my back.

"Does something trouble you, Alex?" I inquired and Alex bit down on his lip, looking away from me for a moment as a blush tainted his skin. I was almost certain that he blushed more than I did, but I didn't wish to tease him about it just yet.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you.. what you were planning to do for Adam's birthday?" I blinked once, chuckling softly as I walked beside him.

"I've.. already gotten something for him," Alex's eyes flashed with curiosity and I smirked, "I.. just got his name tattooed into my thigh..see?" I said, turning my leg a little outward, lifting the fabric of my shorts to show off the new inking. It was about the length of my forearm, really. Alex's eyes widened and he smiled, looking up at me.

"It's beautiful," he commented, and we started walking again. "I… I had an idea, but..it's entirely up to you, really," He began, and I frowned some, looking over at him.

"What is it?" I asked, and Alex blushed furiously, speaking quietly like he was embarrassed.

"Remember that day in the gardens where Adam found us together?" He said, and I nodded once, "I.. I thought about what he said.. When he said that if..if we ever..did anything together, that he would w-want to watch?" The blood, first, drained from my face before rushing back in full as I understood exactly what Alex was trying to get at.

"Are you suggesting—" I began, but he cut me off.

"That we have sex in front of Adam? …Yes." My heart slammed into my chest and I looked away from Alex for a moment. To be utterly honest, I had wondered on occasion what it would be like to sleep with the man that looked so much like me. That Adam had loved so passionately before me. I never wanted to admit it to anyone because I knew they would never let me live it down, but now Alex was suggesting it be our birthday present to Adam...

I stopped in the middle of the hallway with Alex at my side, blushing and refusing to look at me. A thought came to mind and I chuckled, smirking over at the older man, "It seems to me like this is more of a present to you, though.. Fucking with Pharaoh's Husband?" I teased and Alex's face flushed a beautiful red.

"I-It's was m-merely suggestion, I didn't—" I cut him off by pressing a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips, and he shut up immediately.

"I know, Alex. I think it's a great idea," I told him, smiling, "Where should we do it?" I asked, and Alex looked away, pondering.

"Your bedroom?" He suggested and I wrinkled my nose, shaking my head.

"Too ordinary. We need something original.." I commented, and Alex spoke without looking at me.

"The throne room." I stopped, turning my attention to him as his eyes lifted to meet mine. The throne room was perfect. The doors could all be locked off, except for one, if need be… I painted the room in my mind— the stairs, the golden throne itself and how it could comfortably accommodate one or two people… A smirk danced on my lips.

"Perfect. What would we wear? Not the skanky shorts or anything, Adam's used to those," I said, and it was Alex's turn to smirk.

"We could go for what I used to wear when I was his pleasure servant," he suggested, and the crook of my raised eyebrow was all he needed to elaborate, "I wore robes. Brilliantly beautiful robes of plush cotton and silk with elaborate embroidery. Rich reds and deep blues. They hung off the shoulders, right along here," he said, trailing his hands along my shoulders. The robe would exposed the tops and sides of them, and as his hands washed down over my chest, I knew that they would also expose a great deal of skin.

"A silk tie would keep it closed, right along the waist. And the folds overlap, so instead of the line parting down the middle, it's more along the side," his hands slid down the left half of my chest, his fingers trailing along my outer thigh. I shivered slightly as he spoke, "They're light and comfy, but they're long and they flow beautifully."

"Then why did Adam insist on having me and Tommy dress in those awfully tight shorts?" I asked and Alex threw his head back to laugh.

"I know not. You'll have to ask him that yourself," he commented and I smiled, walking with him again.

"So we have the place, and we know what we want to wear.. Anything else?" I asked and Alex smiled warmly.

"Not that I know of, but knowing us, we'll think of something as we go along with it all," I nodded once, laughing with him before looping my arm with his, walking down the palace halls with him as if I'd known him my whole life.


	105. Chapter 105

**Chapter Fifty: I Think They Meant It, When They Said That  
Hiei's POV**

Things had been really boring since I got my inking. Cassidy had been with Adam almost all day. I only saw him and meals and at night. I'd permanently moved into Cassidy's room. We made love quite a lot, which was saying something since I was a virgin just a short while ago. I wasn't going to lie, sex with Cassidy was amazing, but that wasn't the only thing I could do with my life, especially when Cassidy spent most of his time with Adam. I couldn't blame him, he was Adam's adviser, but it left my days pretty lonely.

I wasn't really feeling up to being lonely today.

But I couldn't really find anyone I wanted to spend my day with. I ran into Tommy earlier but he seemed to be pretty intent on whatever he and Alexander were going off to do. I ran into a lot of servants but they were all busy doing their daily chores. I didn't really want to hang out with them anyway. I didn't know any of them and, call me conceited, but I was the lover of the Pharaoh's adviser. I shouldn't have to spend all of my free time with the Pharaoh's servants.

To pass time, I went to the market right outside the palace grounds. From what everyone had told me, it's where everyone who worked and lived in the palace went for whatever they needed. It was the market I'd been caught stealing from, actually. This time I actually did have money with me. Cassidy gave me some, so I didn't need to steal whatever it was that I wanted to buy. I didn't need to steal to survive anymore, thank god. Hopefully I didn't turn into a spoiled brat, but I was really enjoying palace life. I think a lot of that was because of Cassidy though. I wouldn't love being in the palace if I were alone in it.

Unfortunately, now that I had money, I wasn't really finding much in the way of things I wanted to buy. The palace already had everything someone could ever hope for, and then some, so what more did I need to add to that? If I wanted something, I was almost sure that Cassidy would get it for me. He did everything he could to make me happy, and he knew that being alone all day didn't make me very happy… But there wasn't much he could do short of apologizing and spending dinner and evenings with me.

I'd spent almost an hour wandering the stands and tents set up around the market. Everything from food, to extravagant jewelry, elaborately embroidered clothing and glass blown vases. Colors ranged from boring blacks and whites to brilliant yellows and oranges and everywhere you turned, there was something new to look at.

Nothing actually stuck with me enough to buy it though. I thought about, maybe, getting something for Cassidy. He'd given me inkings to show our love and to show all the promises he made to me, but what had I given him, really? Well, my virginity, I supposed, but that wasn't something that constantly lingered with him. I wanted, maybe, a necklace or bracelet or even a little charm for an earring. He made clothes so maybe I could make jewelry. It didn't look hard. In fact, it looked rather simple, and everyone in the palace had his or her ear pierced in at least one spot. Maybe an earing was the best way to go. I could probably make earrings for everyone. I knew that Drake had his right ear pierced two or three times, Cassidy had both pierced one, Adam had a few, but I wasn't sure on exact numbers for him. Tommy and Alex also had a couple, from what I observed.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I wanted people besides Cassidy to realize that I wasn't a terrible person, I'd just had a rough start to life, given that my mother died, I didn't ever really know her, and my father was an abusive asshole. He tried to sell me into sex slavery for god's sake! Wait, no, he wasn't an asshole; assholes actually did have a purpose in life. I wasn't that awful was I? Well. I'd like to think not anyway.

Once I'd come to a decision on how to spend my money, I did a one-eighty and started walking back to a large purple tent with rusty gold stitching. It was the first jewelry and clothing tent I'd seen and it was a lot more impressive than the rest of the stands I'd been passing. From what I gathered, people who were set up inside tents had better quality goods with a wider range in variety of what they were offering. Logically, that made sense, considering that if his or her products were better, they would make more money and is able to afford a nicer stand, shop, tent-thing.

I went back into the tent and glanced around, trying to figure out exactly where I needed to be for what I wanted to accomplish, but brilliant flaming red hair caught my eye. There was only one person in the world I knew with hair that crimson, and it was the Pharaoh's husband. "Drake?" I asked, walking over to him. He was standing among racks of clothing, looking at what appeared to be long, silk robes.

His bright ocean eyes turned to look at me, first in confusion, then in worry, like I wasn't supposed to be here, and then in recognition. He smiled a pearly smile at me just as he pulled a robe that matched his hair off the rack. "Oh, hey Hiei," he said, sounding awfully cheery. From what Cassidy had told me about the people who worked and lived in the palace, Drake was generally a happy, active person, but since I'd come, I hadn't seen much of that happiness. So many horrible things had happened. Tommy getting sick, Alexander showing up and causing turmoil in his marriage, not to mention, Adam actually getting poisoned by someone he still didn't know. Oh yeah, and he was made Pharaoh while Adam was sick and struggled to keep the kingdom running despite his lack of knowing what to do. It was nice to see the false-ginger smiling all the time. Drake and I hadn't really gotten a chance to know each other very well yet, but I was attached to him because he did save me from being sent to the dungeons with all of those awful men.

"Hey," I said, smiling back, although I wasn't very confident in my own looks. There was no way I compared to his perfection, though Cassidy always told me I was the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Drake asked, draping the robe over his forearm. He reached for another without really looking, but I assumed he'd been studying them for a while, trying to decide which ones he wanted.

"Well, I got kind of bored sitting around the palace with nothing to do, so I decided to come look around while Cassidy was with Adam," I told him. "What about you? I didn't expect to see you out here. Actually… I'm kind of surprised that Adam lets you out of the palace without a bunch of bodyguards. No offense or anything, it's just… He's really protective of you."

He laughed, draping another robe, this one green-ish blue over the first one. They both looked to be the same size, so I assumed they were both for him, but I'd never seen him wear such a long robe before. "He is protective, especially as of late, but Adam doesn't tell me what to do anymore. I'm not his bitch really he's mine. He just doesn't like to admit it in front of people," he said, smirking just a touch. I was sure Drake was usually on the receiving end of the sex but it was true, Drake had Adam wrapped around his finger. It was completely obvious to everyone, even if Adam pretended it wasn't true.

"Well, how could he not be your bitch? If he isn't he stops getting sex," I said, smirking at the blush that swept across Drake's face. I was young, among the people in the palace, I realized, but Drake was younger than me, much to my satisfaction. Teasing him seemed like it would be a lot of fun.

"Yes… well, I probably enjoy the sex as much as he does, so who's really being punished if I stop offering it to him?" he asked, his blush deepening enough to match his hair and the new robe he was about to buy.

"Both of you would suffer, I guess. Maybe it would be a competition to see who could last the longest," I told him, smirking a little more. He was adorable when he blushed like that. I could see why Adam found him irresistible, but I don't know if I would be able to marry someone so much younger than me. It was a little different when you were the younger one. Obviously their age difference wasn't an issue, cause they were happily married and had sex almost daily. I guess Cassidy and I were about the same, really. Just a difference of, like nine years, not thirteen. "So, uh… what's with the robes? I've never seen you wear something like that before."

Instead of blushing, like I would have imagined he would do, he smirked. "They're for Adam's birthday, tomorrow," he told me, putting his free hand over the silk. I imagined they were soft and smooth to the touch, probably orgasmic if worn with nothing else on. Oh… Oh, I get it.

"For you and Adam? That one doesn't really look big enough to fit Adam…" I mumbled, glancing from the robes, to Drake's face. He was blushing again, looking down at the garments, petting them fondly.

"They aren't for Adam and I, they're for Alex and myself…" he muttered, still blushing, but smiling at the same time. "Don't tell anyone. It's supposed to be a surprise, but Alex and I… decided to, well, to put it bluntly, we decided to have sex in front of Adam for his birthday." That shocked me. Don't get me wrong, the idea of watching Alex and Drake having sex was completely and totally appealing, but Drake was married, wasn't he? Was it all right to just have sex with someone else? I supposed it must have been, because Drake loved Adam dearly, but I was still naïve in these matters.

"Adam wouldn't be upset…?" I asked, probably looking extremely confused.

"Upset? More like horny to be completely honest. I wouldn't consider doing it if it would upset Adam, but I know it wouldn't. He'll… probably really enjoy it, actually…" Drake looked away, blushing again. Ra, he did blush a lot, more than I did, even. "But, like I said, just don't tell anyone, alright? It's supposed to be a surprise for Adam and, also, I don't want the entire palace knowing that Alex and I are planning on getting it on. A few people already think I'm a whore. I don't need more people believing that…" For a moment, he looked rather upset, like he might cry or maybe he was regretting his decision to sleep with Alex, I wasn't sure which.

"Drake…" I muttered, frowning a little. I wanted to comfort him with a hug or something, but I wasn't sure if that would be over stepping my bounds or not. This wasn't anything like when Adam fell over during dinner the night he was poisoned. Drake needed comfort then, now? Now I wasn't entirely sure what to do. "You aren't a whore, and the people who think you are a whore, well… They can go fuck themselves because look at where you are? You're the Pharaoh's husband! They'll never be that successful, and they probably won't find the happiness you have either."

His eyes lit up a little, but his smile seemed a little forced. "Well… thank you, really, that does mean a lot to me, but when one of the people calling you a whore is your own brother, it's kind of hard to just block it out and not believe it," he said.

"Your brother? Eric…?" I asked. Eric was the only one Drake didn't address at meals. I thought maybe it was just sibling jealousy, like Eric couldn't understand why Drake got such opportunities when he didn't, but maybe it was because Eric completely despised Drake… Well, that would fucking suck. "Your brother called you a whore?"

"Among many other nasty, horrible things. He resents me for leaving the house when I was eighteen. He was even more upset when he found out I'd left to bed with Adam. He said, in a not as kind way, that I'd left him to be in charge of our family when he was still a kid, so I could spread my legs for anyone in the palace who asked it of me…" his voice was shaking a little and I could see tears beginning to fill in the ducts of his eyes.

"Drake… Drake, you don't have to tell me this if you don't want to. Trust me, I won't take it offensively or anything, it's alright… Please don't cry," I practically begged. I hated seeing people upset, especially Drake. When he cried, no matter what he was crying about, it was heartbreaking to watch.

He wiped his eyes with the heel of his free palm. "It's alright, Hiei, I don't mind talking to you. I just wish that we had more time before now to actually spend some time together. Things have been so fucking hectic around here…" I smiled a little, nodding. "But perhaps this isn't the best place to speak about such matters. We can always continue this discussion back in the semi-privacy of the palace. For now, let's just… relax and have a nice time out and away from the palace?"

I smiled again, nodding. "Of course, My King," I teased and he glared at me.

"Please don't call me that, I hate that," he said and I laughed.

"I believe that's why everyone calls you that, Drake, because it bugs you and people love to tease you," I told him. He rolled his eyes, smiling. At least he could take a joke. A lot of people couldn't, and those people got under my skin. Then again, I wasn't very good at taking a joke before either, so I guess I really shouldn't be talking.

" _Anyway_ , did you come in here to get something or were you just looking around?" he asked me, eyeing around the rest of the tent to see if there was anything else that he might be interested in. Something must have caught his eye because he grabbed my hand and tugged me over to a case of sparkling jewelry.

"I did come in here to look at, potentially, making some earrings…" I told him.

He eyed the case before glancing at me. "For Cassidy?" he asked, smiling a little. Drake, I knew, was fully supportive of Cassidy's relationship with me. I wasn't so sure if other's were or not, but I couldn't really say their opinions mattered much to me.

"Yes, a special one for him. He's given me these inkings. I'd like to give him something special in return…" I told him, blushing faintly. I could tell because Drake was smirking ever so slightly. "But I do know that Adam's birthday is tomorrow, so I'd like to make something for him as well, and I might as well do one for you, Tommy and Alex while I'm at it. Perhaps you could all have matching ones…"

"Then, of course, you'll need to make one for yourself as well," he told me, smiling. "Because you're part of the group just as much as everyone else." He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek and I swore I heated up a thousand degrees. "But, you could do something really special for Cassidy's. Maybe a little cuff. You had to go through the pain of inkings for him. He could go through the pain of another piercing for you."

Drake looked back down at the case of jewelry, his eyes scanning charms unattached to chains. "Perhaps Hathor? The Goddess of love? That would make quite a beautiful earring. I have supplies in my studio, if you'd like me to help you with it." He pointed to one particularly beautiful charm. It was a crimson ball sitting between golden horns with gold and red feather winds spreading out to each side. Tiny hieroglyphs were etched throughout the charm and it was just perfect.

"I love it…" I said, smiling down at the charms. "But what about for Adam? And the rest?" I added, glancing at Drake. "I'd like to, at least, give Adam something to thank him for letting me stay, and you as well, but I can't say I know very much about Adam…"

"He loves birds, wings to be exact. He… he kind of has a thing for flight, so maybe…" He scanned the case again, pointing to another. There was a small Goddess with her arms outstretched, fading into wings. The entire piece was gold and was also etched with hieroglyphs. "He'd love that one… As for the rest, we're pretty simple. We'd like just about anything you picked out. Why don't you look and I'll go get someone to unlock this case?"

I smiled at him, nodding and he turned away from me to go find some help and to probably pay for his robes. While he was gone, I scanned the case again, picking out an Ankh for Tommy, and Eye of Horus for Alex and a God for Drake, Ra. I couldn't really explain it, but I just imagined that charm on his ear and it just fit. Everything fit into place. Each piece was a mix of gold, red and blues or purples, each with hieroglyphs and they were beautiful. Now I just had to get them done before tomorrow.


	106. Chapter 106

**Chapter Fifty-One: I'm A Loser In Love  
Tommy's POV**

The days leading up to Adam's birthing were hectic, amazing, and strange all at the same time. The servants were rushing to and fro in the palace, trying to make everything ready and perfect for the day. Drake's family— specifically Roza, Amalia and Jonah— kept confiding in myself and in Drake of what would be the best gifts they could get for Adam, and we both told them their presence as his family was more than enough. The idea of gifts left me puzzled, because in all my years of knowing Adam, I never really knew what to get him for his birthday. I always thought of something last minute, as would probably be the case for this year, too.

Along with the mess of preparations, Alex and I had gotten closer. Between that first kiss we'd shared in my bedroom after I'd taught him a little bit on playing the guitar to the long walks down through the palace holding hands, I'd never felt more complete with a person apart from Drake; though, even with Drake, there was still a part missing because of his love with Adam and the fact that he wasn't mine. But with Alex, it was like we were the only two people in the world. We had come to understand each other more than we thought we ever would. We learned things about each other that drew the ties that connected our hearts even tighter.

I remember after the first time we kissed, when we were just cuddling together in my room, that he'd told me the story of his supposed-death. The fact that he had not died but had been drugged, like I had been, into a comatose state, and while he'd been thought to be taken to be mummified and lowered into a tomb, he was really taken to a small house on the outskirts of the market. The market, of all places!

When he mentioned Brad's name in the mess of his faked-death and abuse, I felt chills run down along the nerves of my body, making me shake with a sudden cold fear. I had expected that Drake and Anna had not been Brad's first victims, because he'd been practiced and careful. But Alex? _Alex_? Had Alex been where Brad started his insanity or had there been others before him?

The day after, on a walk through the gardens, I'd confided in Alex about my home life leading up to being brought to the palace, and how my family had been all but too happy to see me taken away when they couldn't— or wouldn't, I wasn't sure— pay their taxes. And all because I'd been caught being intimate with another man when they were setting me up to be married in a few months time. I told him how I didn't have much care for my family beyond that point, with the exception of my sister, Lisa. I told him I missed her dearly.

Even still, the days began to drift away as Adam's thirty-fourth birthday approached with each new dawn and dusk. I remembered wandering down the halls one day, late in the afternoon, when Alex came to me with a perturbed look on his face. He was biting his lip and looking a little afraid at first, and when he saw me his face had paled a little and he seemed unsure of something. I asked him what was wrong and he took a moment, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"You know that Adam's birthday is coming up, yes?" He inquired and I raised an eyebrow, nodding once.

"Of course. Everyone in the palace talks about it, how could I forget it?" I chuckled, and Alex smiled, but it was weak, and it left me worried.

"Will you keep an open mind and trust me about what I want to do for his birthday?" Alex mumbled quietly, and I frowned softly, nodding once again.

"Of course I trust you, Alex. What's this all about?" I asked, and Alex swallowed once, reaching out to take my hands. Our fingers laced as I stared at his face as he stared at our clasped hands, speaking so gently I thought it had been a figment of my imagination.

"You know that I care about you..and that I like you a lot… And— it's crazy and I don't even know if he'll agree to it but it's an idea that's been in my head for weeks now and I—" I smiled faintly, shaking my head.

"Spit it out, Alex," I teased and Alex looked up at me, his eyes burning with something that left a burn trembling in my stomach, making me go breathless.

"I was thinking about being intimate with Drake in front of Adam…"

I remember that I didn't even really process the idea of what he'd just said. I remember that I smiled after a moment, kissing him sweetly before telling him I trusted him and that I supported his present for Adam. I remember walking off after he'd gone to find Drake to tell him of his plan and on that walk, back to my room, the reality had set itself in. The reality sunk into my mind and something gripped my heart that was unfamiliarly alien and yet frighteningly known to me all the same. It was something that left a burning pain, hot, tight, and full of confusion.

Perhaps it had been just that: confusion. Or perhaps it was something else; something that Adam had felt when he walked in on my and Drake having sex all those years ago, before he realized how in love he was with Drake. Perhaps it was jealousy.

Part of me could not blame Alex for wanting to do this with Drake for Adam, for Drake was a beautiful person inside and out and in a few days time it would be all for Adam and no one else. Part of me could not get mad because we were all lovers, in a sense. But in the mix of it all, I felt strangely hurt and cheated, almost. Like Drake, who I loved with all my heart and soul, was the one robbing me… Robbing me of being the first person to touch and love Alex since Adam, ten years ago.

I wanted to be the first. I wanted to be Alex's first since Adam and I was being cheated of it and I wasn't going to do a damn thing about it.

As it had been with Drake, I dreamed of having someone for my own. And after sharing that first kiss with Alex, I dreamed that that someone was Alex and only Alex. I couldn't have been blamed for it, either. I'd been the one who taught Drake to kiss and trust and I wanted to do the same for Alex. I wanted to be the one who taught him to accept and relearn the touch of love and compassion and not the sting of hurt and pain.

After that, I'd found myself wandering down the hall, making my way towards the doors that would lead out to the garden. I needed some time to think and understand that once again the person I wanted the most would not be mine for the first time… I didn't want to be in such a sour mood, but it was hard to get over the fact that I felt like I was being treated like the youngest child, always being given the things that had been claimed by someone else before. I shook my head at that, though. Alex was not some hand-me-down that was being haggishly tossed to me, unwanted. He was a grown man making his own choices. He wasn't even mine. We weren't even really…

Biting my lip, I sighed softly, turning a corner and walking down the corridor towards the doors. I heard the patter of footsteps behind me but I paid no notice until someone fell in step beside me, all too familiar in the swagger of his walk and his generally alluring presence. He was dressed in a pair of white and gold trimmed trousers that cut off and curled around his knees, a pair of worn leather sandals strapped to his feet. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, the end of it swishing against the middle of his back, just past his shoulders. The length of it made me realize just how long Adam's hair had gotten, and that he was, no doubt, in need of a cut sometime soon.

We walked in silence for a moment, my arms swinging at my sides, Adam's hands clasped together behind his back, pulling the muscles of his arms and shoulders back into warm, imposing lines. We cut through the large wooden doors and out into the cool heat of the late afternoon, the sun blazing down in its sinking light. The trees and plants casted deep, warm shadows across the paved stones and sands, pleasantly ominous in their presence. Sculptures stood proud and tall of the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, hands and faces praising up to the sky to worship Ra above us.

"It comes to my attention that we have not spent time together, just the two of us, in quite a long while," Adam finally commented after a minute or so, his voice clear and refreshing like spring, serene in its tone. I smiled softly, but I stayed silent and I only nodded once to him. "This saddens me, Tommy. We used to talk all the time. All day long, sometimes. Just us and no one else."

I chuckled softly, looking up and over at him. "We talked because we weren't in love, Adam. We talked because you were not preoccupied with love and such stressing politics. You are in love, now, and you are married. Things have changed, Adam. That is why we do not talk anymore," I explained to him, never once looking away from him as our pace slowed some. Adam smiled softly, looking up into the pink and red sky, the free wisps of his midnight hair flaming like a brilliant blue in the sun, the tan of his skin like baked wheat.

"Perhaps. I was never married before this year. No matter how much I desired it," Adam sighed softly, but showed nothing in his face but contentment.

"Aren't you glad you waited, though?" I teased, nudging hid arm as we walked. Adam laughed out, his shoulders shaking lightly as his chest rumbled with the roar like a summer thunder, and I beamed at him.

"Yes," he admitted after he calmed down enough to speak again, "though.. Pardon me, Tommy, but I feel as if because of my marriage to Drake you have been erased from large parts of our lives entirely," he said sadly, and I shook my head some.

"Adam, don't say that. It's not like because you got married that I've been kicked out. Being married puts a whole new weight on your life. I'm still here, I'm just not part of your bedroom life anymore," I said, smirking softly as I palmed a hand over his arm. Adam nodded once, but he still looked a little upset. "Besides, it's okay. I don't need to be involved with everything you and Drake do, anyways. All that I could ever ask for has already been given to me, and I am content with the life I have every day."

Adam eyed me for a moment before a quirky smile spread its way across his lips and he shook his head slowly as we came to a stop beside a large fountain— the one he and Drake got married by. Adam and I sat down on the edges, turned towards one another. I smiled softly at him as he spoke gently to me.

"I should have expected such an answer from you, Tommy. You are always one to take what is given to you and make it work in the best possible way," I blushed faintly, looking away from Adam.

"Well, I try anyway," I chuckled softly.

"But aren't you lonely? I mean… I know you love Drake and I know you haven't been able to spend time with him between you being sick and then my getting better," again, Adam looked sad and I shook my head, chuckling softly as Alex's face popped into my mind.

"I won't lie, it's been hard being so distant from you and Drake, but it's not all bad anymore. I—" I paused, blushing lightly and Adam smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"You what, Tommy?" He inquired, and I smiled shyly.

"I am not lonely. Actually… I.. I believe I may have found the person I have been wanting and waiting for since Drake.. It's a long shot, but…" I trailed off, smiling brightly and Adam laughed quietly.

"If I may, who?" The resilient blush of mine deepened some and I refused to look at Adam as I spoke, my voice so quiet it was softer than the gentlest whisper.

"Forgive me.. But.. I.. It's Alex.." Out of my peripheral I saw Adam's face go into that of shock and awe, almost, for the longest time. I feared that I'd done something wrong, when I shouldn't have because he was happier than ever with Drake. But the fear washed away into relief when Adam broke out into the biggest, shit-eating grin I'd ever seen in my life.

"You and Alex, huh?" Adam teased and I blushed even more, turning away from Adam. He cooed at me, pulling me close to press a kiss to my cheek, running his fingers through my hair. I looked back at him and smiled sheepishly, nodding once.

"And does he express the same interest in you?" Adam asked and I smiled softly, nodding once.

"I believe so… I.. I hope so. I mean.. If he kisses me and holds my hand and is always so happy to be around me, then that means he feels the same way for me, right?" I wondered, looking over at Adam, and he just laughed and grinned some more.

"Yes. Alex's has always been an affectionate individual, but I know that if he appears so at peace when he's with you, then it's real," Adam assured me and it was my turn to grin.


	107. Chapter 107

**Chapter Fifty-Two: Don't Question That This Boy's a Ten  
Alex's POV**

Today was Adam's thirty-fourth birthday and I had to be honest, I was nervous for the events to come. Drake told me that he'd gone out the day before to buy robes, but he wanted me to make sure they were what I was talking about. He hid them from Adam in the bottom of his wardrobe and, from the mischievous grin on Drake's face when we spoke, briefly, before breakfast; he'd been depriving Adam of sex for a few days now. Probably since he got that tattoo on his thigh, considering that was, one, still healing, and two, a birthday present for the king.

Drake wished Adam a happy birthday at the beginning of breakfast, giving him a loving, chaste kiss before taking his seat next to the king. I could have sworn Adam moaned just at Drake's lips contacting his. Obviously, Drake hadn't been putting out much… The thought was exciting and, at the same time, humorous. Adam was addicted to sex, I was almost sure, so him not having for as long as he'd been deprived was comical.

Breakfast was lively and enjoyable. Even Eric, Drake's brother who never talked much, actually said a few things today. But, as all good things do, breakfast had to come to an end. Drake made his way to the door, nodding with his head for me to follow him, but Adam beat me to the boy.

"Where are you going, baby?" Adam asked, a little bit of a pout forming along his lower lip. I have to give Adam credit; he had the whole pouting thing down.

Drake turned to press a kiss into Adam's lips. "I have a few last minute things to get done for your birthday present, baby," he said, smiling that I'm-so-fucking-cute-and-innocent-you-have-no-choice-but-to-love-and-believe-me smile. "It'll only take a little while. We're having an early dinner, and afterwards…" I could see the sinful pang of lust well in his ocean eyes for just a moment, "…afterwards, I'm all yours, but I need to finish your gift, alright?"

Adam continued to pout, but Drake just pressed another kiss to his lips. "Stop your pouting. Begging isn't a good look for a Pharaoh," Drake teased, painting a nice, soft blush across Adam's face. "Unless we're in the bedroom… Then it's a wonderful look." With that as his closing statement and a lust-filled smirk, Drake turned and left the room, waiting for me to follow, I was sure.

Roza came over to Adam, embracing him like he were her child and I took that distraction to slip out of the dining hall to join Drake in the hall. "You're such a tease, you know that?" I asked, pressing a gentle kiss to Drake's cheek. He smiled sheepishly, taking my hand in his and pulling me down the hall before he said anything.

"Yes well, I did learn from the best. Adam kind of turned me into a sexual deviant, just like him," he muttered, blushing softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, still teasing him. Teasing the boy was just too much fucking fun, to be honest, but I knew the teasing coin had two sides and he would get me back for it later.

"I mean, I was pretty innocent until Adam got his hands on me. He turned me into this, really," he stated, like he was pleading his innocence. In a very sexual way, he was.

"You can't possibly mean that you were a-"

"A virgin? Yes, actually, I was," Drake muttered. "Adam was my first. I hadn't so much as kissed someone before the day Adam decided to keep me in his palace. He stole my first kiss and my virginity all in the same day." To my surprise, Drake wasn't even blushing. He wasn't embarrassed to talk about that day in the slightest.

"Did you instantly fall in love with him?" I asked, merely curious. Adam told me a lot about their love and the past three years, but he'd never, truly, described to me just how Drake fell in love. Maybe Adam didn't really know all the details, but I was interested.

"Well… No, not really. I'll be the first to admit that the sex was amazing, even if it left me in pain for days, but Adam terrified me at first. I was so afraid of him; I clung to Tommy for weeks. But it didn't take me long to fall for Adam, trust me. He was just… He was too perfect not to fall for him," he explained, pulling me into his and Adam's bedroom. He had me sit on the edge of their giant bed, one that I was only too familiar with and Drake walked over to the wardrobe. "But Adam wouldn't admit his feelings for me for quite some time… Because he didn't know if he loved me for me or for my resemblance to you…"

I frowned. "I'm sorry, baby…" I whispered. "I wish Adam didn't wait so long. You're a fantastic boy… Man," I corrected, smiling at him. He smiled over his shoulder before dropping to one knee to dig through the bottom of his wardrobe. My mind painted a really nice image of Drake on his knees for a completely different reason. I had to suppress the moan wanting to rip its way out of my throat. Fuck this boy was such a damned tease.

"I hope these are what you're talking about…" he said, pulling two silk robes from the wardrobe, one a greenish blue and one crimson, like Drake's hair. "It was hard to tell without actually putting them on, and I didn't really have much time to try them on and judge their appearance." He held them out to me and I really couldn't fight the smirk.

"Model it for me, Drake. I won't be able to see it on myself," I told him. He blushed, but pulled his top off and pulled the red robe on. It matched his hair and his blush perfectly and the robe molded to his body just like it was supposed to, draping off of his shoulders and tied loosely around his waist, making a very easy access to his body. The robes went down right around his ankles and he looked completely gorgeous. He'd be better once he wasn't wearing those shorts anymore.

"Perfect, Drake, absolutely perfect," I told him, walking over to him and kissing him gently on the lips. He moaned quietly, still blushing and I took his hands in mine. "Let's go bathe, pretty ourselves up and go to dinner."

Drake smirked, his blush fading. "Mmhm, sounds like you want more than just sex tonight, huh baby?" he asked, taking my hand in one of his and grabbing the other robe. He pulled me over to the private bathroom attached to their bedroom. Cassidy, I was sure, was keeping Adam busy, so he wouldn't be wandering back here anytime soon. Drake closed the door behind us and hung the blue robe up on a hook. He took his off and hung it up as well.

He smiled at me and walked over to the massive tub, turning the knobs to fill it with water and he sprinkled something into the water to make it bubble. I couldn't really help but stare at the curve of his body and how he moved. He was so beautiful and all of his inkings looked like they were shining against his skin. His hands disappeared down his front and a moment later, his shorts slid down his hips and legs, leaving himself completely bare.

He turned to look at me from over his shoulder and he blushed wildly. "You're staring at me," he said and a blush swept across my face.

"I… I'm sorry, it's just… Well, you're beautiful, to be completely blunt about it," I said honestly. "I can't really help myself…"

Drake smirked a little, turning to me fully and walking over to me, his hands starting to undress me. "Well then, let me see you, because you must be just as beautiful," he said, ghosting a kiss against my jaw line. I helped him undress me and we slipped into the tub all in the matter of seconds. I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling his back against my chest. "Let me clean you, alright?" I whispered into his ear, pulling a bar of soap into the water, lathering it up.

I took my time with Drake, cleaning him thoroughly and washing his hair. When my hands roamed to his knees and up into the insides of his thighs, he moaned, shivering and spreading his legs for me a little. His head was pressed into my shoulder, his face turned away from me, exposing a highway of neck.

Biting my lip, I drew my fingers up his thighs, cleaning him slowly. His tattoo had healed rather nicely, but when my fingers brushed over the scars Brad left with that fucking knife, he went a little stiff. I knew his pain too well and I kissed his neck gently, running my fingers over the smooth scars poking out of his little amount of baby fat he had. Drake whimpered quietly, shaking in my arms despite the warmth of the water.

"Shh, it's all right, baby," I whispered, dragging my fingers up to his groin. Drake gasped, bucking into my touch and moaning. I could feel him growing a little hard, but nothing close to a full erection. "Clean me off, alright baby?" I muttered into his ear, dragging a wet kiss against the side of his neck, nipping it gently. He shuddered a little, his eyes fluttering shut in pleasure. "Guess depriving Adam of sex had started to back fire on you, huh?" I teased and he blushed a little, but he was in too much pleasure to give a damn about being embarrassed.

"It… hasn't been great for me, that's for sure," he said, moaning quietly. "I think I'm too used to having sex all the time… Damn Pharaoh…" I chuckled softly, pressing another kiss to his neck.

I enjoyed teasing him, but we eventually did get cleaned and dressed. Drake did my makeup to match the blue robe and I did the same for his red one. We didn't wear anything underneath them. Our makeup was done to perfection, Eye of Horus around my left eye and his right. His eyes were dusted a smoky red and mine were a sea green. He wore deep cherry gloss on his lips while mine were painted a subtle, soft pink. His hair was shaped perfectly around his face into velvety curtains, while mine hung loosely, the way I always wore it for Adam. Surely we were quite a sight to be had.

"Shall we go to dinner, My King?" I asked, offering Drake my arm. He looped his through mine, putting his other hand on my upper arm, like I was his spouse and he was my wife. Well, he would have pulled it off quite nicely if he weren't rolling his eyes, at least.

"Not you too…" he groaned, pouting a little as I tugged him out of the bathroom and out of the room entirely.

"Well, you are a king, Drake," I told him.

"But I don't-" He stopped mid sentence, that lustful glint flickering back into his eyes. "Wait, I forgot something," he said, tugging me back into the bedroom. He pushed me down to sit on the bed and then got down on his knees for the second time that day. I chewed on the inside of me cheek to remain silent as he dug for something under the bed. He pulled out a small box and opened it. "Close your eyes, please, Alex," he said softly, but I knew more than anything that it was a command and not a request.

I did as I was told and I heard the box close before being pushed back under the bed. Drake shifted so he was right in front of me and if we weren't about to head to dinner, I would have sworn he was about to swallow my being whole. Why else kneel down directly in front of someone? "Spread your thighs for me," he whispered and I moaned, doing as I was told again.

Drake's strong hands wandered up my thighs and once he reached my groin, he slid a single finger into me. Gasping, I clenched around the digit, pulling it deeper and throwing my head back. Was it obvious that I hadn't been touch in such a manner in quite some time? "D-Drake…" I moaned, choking on a breath as he pulled the finger out, just to shove it back in again. He repeated this a few times before slipping in a second finger, scissoring me gently.

"You're so tight, Alex…" he groaned, opening me up but never actually hitting that spot that drove me wild.

"I haven't had sex in quite a while…" I admitted, whimpering when he pulled his fingers out, but the feel of something smooth and rounded hushed me up. The only too familiar feel of a jeweled plug replaced Drake's fingers. He positioned it expertly, so any time I moved or twisted a certain way, it stabbed into that spot and forced a needy moan from my lips. I could only imagine Adam used this on Drake a lot, that's why he knew exactly where to put it.

"I'd like you to keep this in through dinner, alright?" he asked me, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. I moaned, whimpering softly, but who was I to deny the Pharaoh's husband what he wanted? I couldn't, so I simply nodded and tried not to let the fact that a plug was pressed up tight into me, and that it would, no doubt, be noticeable to anyone.

Drake let the side of his thigh hang out a little, teasingly really. I knew he was doing it on purpose. He was going to torture Adam and myself throughout dinner, I was almost sure. He took me, slowly, into the dining hall, where everyone else was already seated. Meals hadn't been served yet. I assumed they were waiting for the Pharaoh's spouse to show up.

When Adam's eyes landed on us, sin flickered through them, turning his normally bright blue eyes a dark, lust filled, and almost black color. He remembered these robes all right. Drake took his seat next to Adam, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek and wishing him another happy birthday, but I could see the robe hanging off his thigh, splitting like a skanky dress all the way up to his hip, but everything Adam would really want to get to was hidden by the silk.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from moaning both at the plug and what a fucking tease Drake was. Ra, that boy was going to be the death of us all.


	108. Chapter 108

**Chapter Fifty-Three: Love Shrine, Break the Taboo**

 **Adam's POV**

All the days leading up to my birthday, I had wanted nothing more than to make sweet, passionate love with Drake, even if it was only once before the day. And every night, every advance, every attempt, he blew me off with a chaste kiss, whispering "not yet" into my mouth and my skin, leaving me yearning and denied. Always, at night, when he slept he was clothed. Drake hadn't clothed himself in sleep in years. Was this to make sure that if I tried to advance on him at night, when he was sleeping, that he would wake and stop me?

Perhaps. Clever little fuck.

The constant denial was making me antsy and needy. In some instances I was so driven with need I had an urge to drag Drake down by his crimson red hair to our bedroom and just fuck him senseless on the stairs that led down to our marriage bed. But every time that urge boiled in my skin, he would flash me one of those beautiful, innocent and bashful smiles from when he was just a boy, brought to my palace, and I would give in and wait.

I was tired of waiting.

The morning of my birthday, I awoke to find that Drake was already gone, no doubt awake and making last minute preparations. I groaned quietly, pulling myself from the comforts of our denied bed, too warm and empty of love for it to be of any true comfort to me right now. I dressed quickly and combed out my hair, letting it hang around my face as I made my way down to the dining hall for breakfast. Drake was there before me, and he gave me a chaste kiss that left me already slightly aroused. When your boy doesn't put out, even the smallest things turn you on. Like sweet little baby-kisses…

Breakfast went by faster than I wanted it to. Everyone was talking and laughing and wishing me a happy birthday. Alex commented on how old I was and I had to remind him that he wasn't far behind me, only a few short months. Even Eric was talking now and then, seeming to have a good time. But I kept catching glances that he threw at Drake. Glances that were filled with remorse and hurt, but no matter how many he threw Drake's way, Drake never looked at him. Not once.

Drake slipped through my fingers with soft, chaste kisses on my lips, telling me he needed to finish my birthday present before he could be with me. A weight settled over my heart as my mo— Roza— wrapped her arms around me in a warm, serene hug, wishing me a soft and wonderful happy birthday. I smiled and thanked her, watching Alex slip out of the dining hall, no doubt to follow Drake. What were those two up to?

"Adam," Cassidy said, coming to my side. He was dressed in a pair of dark grey trousers and a matching vest, showing off his recently re-inked tattoos on his hips. Hiei was at his side, sporting the same tattoos, and I smiled at them both. To see that they had committed themselves to one another was like a great blessing from the Gods. I had feared for Cassidy that he would never find love again after Brad, and to see the happiness that Hiei brought him was so refreshing. It made me wonder why I had doubted letting the boy stay in the first place, those months ago.

"How does it feel to be thirty-four?" Cassidy asked me and I sighed, smiling warmly at him and Hiei again.

"To be honest? It makes me feel ancient, especially when I look at Drake and remember he's only twenty-one.." I said with a soft chuckle, trailing off as they both grinned gently at me. "But it's alright. It's another day, another year. It really stopped meaning anything after I turned thirty," I admitted and Cassidy nodded once.

"Understandable. Just wait until you reach forty and fifty, though, Adam. Then you'll _really_ start to feel old," Cassidy joked and I rolled my eyes as Tommy came to our sides.

"Oh, don't even, Cassidy. I don't want to think about what I'll look like when I'm that old," Tommy smirked at my remark.

"I'm sure you'll look the same, Adam. Just a few more slight wrinkles, some graying of the hair. You know, from all that hard work of being a Pharaoh and fucking someone who's over a decade younger than you," I blushed deeply, refusing to look at him.

"Just don't wear yourself out trying to keep up with him," Hiei piped in, smirking warmly at me and I eyed him before laughing softly, looking over at Cassidy.

"He has some bite. I wonder, did he learnt that from you?" Cassidy's cheeks flamed a soft pink and he smiled, pulling Hiei a little closer to him.

"I believe he got it before he met me, Adam. I guess being a bit of a delinquent does that to you," Cassidy smirked down at Hiei, and the boy pouted deeply, nudging my advisor's side.

"I'm not a delinquent!" He whined, and Cassidy nodded once, kissing him sweetly as if to say "I know". I smiled at them as Tommy rested his hand on my lower back, leaning over to press a kiss to my cheek.

"I never wished you a proper happy birthday, Adam, and I'm sorry for that. So," he said, standing on his toes to peck my mouth with his gently, smiling brightly at me, "happy birthday." I laughed softly, nodding once.

"Thank you, Tommy. That means a lot to me," I told him, a smile tugging at my lips. Tommy raised a finger, telling me to wait for a moment as he crossed to the table, gathering up a stack of papers I hadn't noticed before. He walked back towards me, a small blush gracing his cheeks as he looked up at me.

"I.. I originally made this for Drake as a thank you for the mural he made for me years ago, but.. I think I want to give this to you. Maybe you can sing it for us one day," Tommy said, holding out the stack to me. They were on clean, white paper, printed in hand written black ink and tied with a red ribbon. I noticed, immediately, that it was sheet music. Music in Tommy's handwriting. And lyrics, too. Some of the most beautiful lyrics I'd ever read.

The top of the first page read the title "Aftermath", with a beautifully composed guitar into, and the words written in a range all too perfect for me. I smiled softly, tears welling up in my eyes as I looked back up at Tommy, pulling him into my arms for an embrace. His arms linked around my neck and shoulders as mine curved around his hips, and I pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, Tommy. It's beautiful." Tommy grinned softly, leaving a kiss on my lips.

"I'm glad you like it," he said and I saw Hiei come up to me in my peripheral.

"Speaking of gifts… I.. here, My Pharaoh," Hiei said, holding out a small box to me. I glanced at him for a moment, smiling softly as I took the box from his hand, lifting the lid off of it gingerly to peer inside. Tucked in the folds of black velvet was an earring of a Goddess with her arms outstretched, fading off into wings. Connected to a small loop by her legs was a chain of four or five small links, and a beautifully painted Eye of Horus against the red of the sun dangling down. I smiled, tracing my finger against the detailed work of the earring, before looking up at Hiei.

"Thank you. It's beautiful.." I said, trailing off. Hiei blushed lightly, looking away.

"Drake helped me paint it.. I.. I added the sun with the Eye of Horus to it. Originally it was just the Goddess, but I thought it was only fitting to have a little something more, since you are Pharaoh, after all.." I chuckled, leaning forward to press a kiss to Hiei's forehead. His skin heated up almost immediately and the blush that painted his face was faint because of his skin color, but I knew that if he were pale like Drake, he'd be as red as my lover's hair.

"I love it," I told him, reaching up to my left ear, plucking the earring that I had there free, replacing it with the gifted earring. It fit perfectly, and Hiei smiled with pride and almost awe. "Thank you, again," I said, and he nodded once.

The time between lunch and dinner seemed to drag on for forever. The only thing that could have possibly made it any longer was if I'd had to deal with politics and business, and fortunately I didn't. But, even still, I wanted to go down and find out where Drake and Alex had gone, but Cassidy kept me rooted in places away from my chambers. In fact, he kept me away from that half of the palace in general. I tried not to let it bother me, but I was curious.

At some point, though, conversing with Drake's siblings and Tommy managed to hold my attention for the time that was spent waiting. We all stayed gathered up in the dining hall for the most part. Small, snack-like foods were brought out along with different wines as well as water, for the younger ones. Hayden and Jonah ended up running off after a while to go play since the topics of conversation gradually became more and more adult. And it got boring for them, so they left, of which I was thankful, because not long after they left it got inappropriate.

Hiei's earring dangled from my ear in a strange, unfamiliar and yet comforting way and I kept noticing how the boy was practically glued to Cassidy's hip. But he was no longer afraid to speak out to give his own opinion. I guess since being brought here, his view of me had changed. It was not uncommon of people to be bashful and quiet around me upon first meeting me. I was Pharaoh, after all. But the longer they got to know me, the more they understood that I didn't mind, and that I valued opinion. Even if it went against my own.

Wine was drunk and food was nibbled and chewed on. There wasn't really much of a lunch because of the breakfast that came a little later than normal and the dinner that would be coming earlier than any of the other three hundred and sixty four days of the year. It was strange, but it was comforting. Well, for most. It wasn't comforting for me in the slightest, for I kept looking at the clock and at the sun through the windows of the hall as I watched the hours slip by, and still Alex and Drake had not returned.

I tried to keep my focus on my family and friends. I tried to stay truly in-tune with the conversations, but Drake was like my energy source. Without him, I was drained and unmotivated. I felt tired without him. And I didn't want to feel tired or alone on my birthday. In truth, all I had wanted for my birthday was to have everything like our wedding night. Endless hours of love making and kissing and cuddling and nothing more. Not parties or talking or anything. Just me and Drake..

But he had promised me, this morning at breakfast. He had promised me that after dinner tonight, he would be all mine and I could do anything and everything I wanted to him. And I had every intention of making Drake pay for making me wait this last few days to have my way with him. I'd had it all planned in my head… I would tie him to our bed, tease him and kiss him, lick him all over and I was making goals in my head. I would make him come at least two or three times…

My thoughts were interrupted when the dinner bell was sounded through the hall. Roza, Eric, Amalia, Jonah and Hayden— the boys had rushed back after a serving boy when to look for them— took their seats along the side of the table to my right, with Cassidy and Hiei seated side by side next to them and me. Tommy sat along the side of the table to my left, in the second seat. The first was open, as well as the one at the head of the table and to my left, waiting for Alex and Drake's appearances. I frowned softly, talking quietly with Cassidy and Hiei while we waited, which turned out to be not long at all.

When the doors opened and I looked up, I had a vague idea of what to expect, and what I got was something entirely different all together. Alex and Drake came in side by side, looking like twins with their makeup and hair done up to match what they were wearing as well as complimenting one another. They looked like fire and water. Alex, with his blue and green robes and his sea green eye makeup and his left eye painted with the Eye of Horus. Their arms were looped together, and Drake walked by his left side, adorned in crimson robes to match his hair and his makeup. Red, smoky shadow and thick black liner, as well as a brilliantly deep red stain on his lips, an Eye painted around his right.

The robes were familiar, and looking upon them sent me more than ten years ago to when Alex had been my servant and lover. They were identical, almost, to the robes that he had worn as my servant, hanging loose and open around the shoulders and billowing like smoke around the legs, shining in their silk and embroidering. I felt a twitch, a rush of excitement beneath my trousers and I stared as they came close to me, each wearing smirk on his face.

"Happy birthday, Adam," they said in unison, Alex leaving a kiss on my cheek before taking his seat next to Tommy. My eye caught the long, lithe line of Drake's body, and the fact that the robe was split along the side, exposing his thigh as he walked, all the way up to his hip. Drake bent down, pressing a warm, open-mouthed kiss to my cheek, lingering a touch longer than Alex as he sat beside me, his thigh still exposed and toned beneath the lip of the table.

It took all my strength not to pull Drake away and fuck him just around the corner from the dining hall. It took all my strength and will and common sense not to rip his robe away and mark him in front of our friends and family. I wanted to, so badly. To see my lover, my husband, my Drake dressed in robes that Alex had worn when we'd been in love… To see him dolled up and looking, truly, like a God himself.. it nearly brought me to my undoing, alone.

Dinner was brought out in steaming piles upon platters and in bowls of silver and china, set neatly before us before being dished out. Wine filled our cups as the savory smells of meats, vegetables and other delicacies wafted around the room, teasing and taunting us with their flavor. Drake reached over nonchalantly, taking my left hand and bringing it down to his thigh, holding it there for a moment before moving his own away. The pause of his hand on mine told me that my hand was to stay here and go nowhere else.

Fuck you, Drake.

I bit down on my lip, digging into the first course of my dinner as everyone started talking with one another. I kept noticing that every time Alex moved, his face looked temporarily crossed with pleasure. Tommy eyed him warily now and then but he always shook his head and smiled, though his eyes betrayed that he was aroused and needy. He kept shooting glances at Drake, but my lover never returned them. Or, if he did, I never paid attention.

The warmth of Drake's thigh beneath my palm, quivering so slightly every time he moved just an inch made me nearly lose it. I nearly lost my control every time. I knew that all I had to do was pull my hand away, but I couldn't find it within me to do so. I couldn't force myself to pull away, but I wasn't allowed to move any closer, either. I was stuck, and I wasn't sure if I really liked it or not.

Half way through the second course, I saw a delicate blush across Alex's face that refused to fade away, and he shifted every now and then, his eyes faintly fluttering with pleasure. I wasn't sure what, exactly, Drake had done to him, but I could only imagine that this evening was not going to turn out quite the way I had imagined that it would. And I had just swallowed my last bite with a wash of wine when Drake stood from the table, forcing me to drop my hand as his robe slipped shut. He muttered a gentle "excuse me" before starting to walk away.

Alex, who was blushing like a tomato, sat frozen in his seat with his cup of wine clenched in his hand as Drake palmed a hand onto his shoulder, leaning down to whisper something into his ear. My eyes watched Drake's red lips, but I couldn't see what he was saying, only that Alex's face took on a recognition of something and he nodded once, muttering the same two words Drake had spoken before standing, walking with Drake out of the dining hall.

"Where do they keep going?" Cassidy asked after a few moments. I frowned softly, staring down the line of the table, loaded with food and drink, at the wooden doors of the dining hall entrance.

"I haven't the slightest clue. But I know they're up to something, and I'll be damned if I don't figure it out sooner or later," I told him, pushing my empty plate and drink away. Several pairs of eyes locked on me, but no one made a sound for a moment.

"What are you going to do?" Tommy asked. I glanced at him briefly before staring back up at the door.

"I'm going to go find out what they're doing," I mumbled, before turning my attention to everyone else, "Thank you for sharing this meal with me. I apologize that I cannot stay, however it would appear my husband and friend have something else planned. I bid you a fond goodnight, and I will see you in the morning," I said cheerily, making my way around the table and down towards the doors, pushing them open and slipping out into the hallway.

There wasn't anyone around, which often would have been construed as strange, however most servants had taken the rest of the day off and those who were still working had business in other places than the more public grounds such as this. Biting down on my bottom lip, I glanced left and right, trying to determine which way to go when I looked to my left, swearing that I saw a flash of red darting around the corner at the end.

Taking off, I rushed down in a sort of hurried walk that began to bleed itself into a fast jog. I didn't want to risk losing them in the vastness of the palace, but something told me that they weren't going to let me lose them. That they were waiting, lingering and leading me to wherever it was they wanted me to be. And if that was the case, then I was only too happy to play with their little game as long as I got them both in the end…

Rounding the corner, I stared down the hall. There was only one other turn at the end of this and it was to the left, towards the throne room. Was that where they were going? My throne room? I took a step forward as a thought came to me. A memory that seemed like ages ago when in truth it hadn't been so long… _A memory of Drake nestled into my lap, on my throne, the two of us sharing a passionate kiss as his hands tangled themselves into my hair, tugging hard and pulling a groan from my lips…_

Shivering, I hurried down the long stretch of hallway, turning sharply to the left to see that the large doors that led into the throne room were mostly closed, but there was a small crack, allowing as a sort of peephole into the massive room. My heart thundered in my chest and my throat closed up as I inhaled slowly, taking cautious steps towards the doors.

Through the thin crack I could make out two shapes, both adorned in their robes. Red was washed against the gold of my throne and I knew that Drake was seated there. Stepping closer, I peered through the crack, but I did not push the doors open yet. Drake sat there with his hands on the arms, his hands relaxed on the gold and jewel embedded ends. His robe was undone at the front, revealing the glory of his beautiful creamy body, and erection curving tall along his stomach. His arms were still clothed by the sleeves, and the fabric pooled and gathered around his hips and his legs, rushing off the end like a waterfall.

Alex stood before him at the base of the stairs, his frame trembling as he fiddled with the tie before his robe slid from his body, falling in a pool of blue and green at his feet. His body was still toned and strong like I remembered, but there were scars here and there that I could only imagine Brad had left in him. Scars on his back and his legs, looking thin and light in spots and thick and deep in others. My heart clenched but, like Drake, there was something beautiful about the scars.. Like these little imperfections made them all the more beautiful…

Drake beckoned Alex forward, and the brunette took slow, rigid steps forward. Watching him walk and climb the stairs, I caught the glint of something shining between his thighs and I nearly dropped to my knees in pleasure. Drake had put a plug into him. That was why he was so flustered and constantly shifting at dinner..

"Drake..baby, I—" Alex whimpered as Drake leaned forward, pulling him up onto the throne. Alex's knees were on either side of Drake's thighs as he knelt on Drake's lap. I moaned behind the doors, wanting to push forward and go to them, but something told me not yet.

"Shh, I know, Alex.. I know.." Drake said to him, reaching down to toy with the plug. Alex's back arched and he threw his head back, crying out and pressing himself up against Drake. I moaned, cupping myself through my trousers behind the door, breathing hard as excitement boiled through my blood.

"Baby, it hurts, please.. please, Drake…" Biting down on my bottom lip, I had to stifle my moans as Drake pulled the plug from within Alex, and I watched my old lover jerk and lean heavily upon my husband. Drake tossed the plug aside and I watched it clatter down the stairs, slicked and gleaming in the light of the throne room before it came to a stop at the base of the stairs, off to the left. Discarded and forgotten.

"Relax, Alex.. Relax, baby. I've got you.. Oh, come here," Drake moaned, tucking a finger under Alex's chin, kissing him gently as Alex shifted closer, wrapping his arms around Drake's neck. My eyes widened as Drake's arm curled around Alex's waist, lifting him up a little before his dick prodded into Alex. I watched as Alex sunk down onto him, Drake's length disappearing slowly, agonizingly slow into him…

A moment later, Drake began to fuck Alex on my throne..


	109. Chapter 109

**Chapter Fifty-Four: I Fell for You Like a Child, Oh, But the Fire Went Wild  
Drake's POV**

Throughout dinner, I had to hide the smirk that kept playing at my lips. Between Alex's constant blush (as a result of my doing, I might add) and Adam throwing me needy, lustful looks, I couldn't help but be a little smug and, not to brag or anything, but I did know I looked fantastic at the moment. Maybe I looked a little skanky, but it wasn't any worse than anything else in my wardrobe, really. I was just… overworking my sexuality, that's all.

Dinner, I knew, was like sexual torture for Adam. I could see the lust boiling in his eyes. He wanted to rip my robes open and fuck me senseless. I couldn't blame him. I had been rather selfish in bed lately. Every single advance he made, I shot down. We hadn't had sex in a week, give or take a few days, and it was starting to get to him. To be completely honest and open, it was starting to get to me too, but I knew what was in store for the night.

Adam didn't have a clue, the poor little fuck… Ra, I was so mean to him.

The sexual tension of the room was ignored by almost everyone, though. Adam, Alex and Tommy were the only ones who really seemed to notice, Adam for obvious reasons. He was horny and he wanted sex more than he normally did, if that was possible. Alex simply because I decided to be a bitch and plug him. Every time he shifted, his face would contort into pleasure and need. He would shoot me lust-filled glances every once in a while, but I ignored them, despite the slight arousal I was feeling. The heat from Adam's touch, Alex's eyes blown wide in ecstasy and the needy looks they both kept flashing me left me feeling a little more than needy, but unlike them, I could actually hide my sexual frustration.

In my opinion, this was all just foreplay, better than foreplay, really, but as all foreplay does, it needed to end. Alex faced me with a look that told me he simply couldn't take it anymore and I was beginning to worry that if he sat there, shifting and trying to rid himself of his blush for much longer, he would come undone right there in his robes, so I excused myself and took Alex with me, knowing very well that Adam would follow us. He was far too curious not to, but that was our plan all along, really.

I was smug about teasing Adam so much and about what Alex and I were about to do with one another, but even I wasn't ready for what was actually about to happen. When Alex had, originally, asked me about this little "birthday present" to Adam, I imagined Alex driving into me over and over again. Why would I believe anything different would happen? I'd always been the bitch in every sexual act I'd committed with someone else. Granted, I'd only had sex with two people, but I'd never dominated anyone in my life. Adam always took me. He always made sweet, sweet love to me, and the times Tommy and I did have sex he had topped me too. Sometimes, when Tommy and I were his pleasure servants, Adam would have us perform for him and there was that one time when Tommy and I… I'd rather not revisit that night. I still felt so horrible about it.

The point was, I'd never expected to be dominating, but when I pulled Alex into the throne room, he leaned over, pressing his lips to my ear, whispering for me sit on the throne with my robe undone in the front. The thought sent pleasure coils through my most naughty regions and as nervous as it made me, I didn't protest it. I didn't really have time because Adam was right behind us.

It wasn't hard to pull my robes free, leaving me completely exposed to Alex. He looked me over with hungry eyes, a soft moan falling from his lips. I didn't let it embarrass me too much, I should have been used to that kind of attention by now. Everyone looked at me the way Alex was, probably thanks to the clothing Adam had provided me with since I started living in his palace.

I perched myself on Adam's throne, looking as regal as I could manage. I'd witnessed Adam sitting on this throne hundreds of times. I had sat with him dozens since our marriage. I think I'd observed enough to pull off "the sitting". Royalty was part of my life now, whether I got used to it was a completely different story.

Alex stood before me, at the base of the golden steps leading up to the throne I sat on. Across the hall, I could make out Adam peering through the crack in the door Alex and I had entered through. We'd locked every door that lead to this room except for one and that was the one we lead Adam too, just like a mouse to its cheese. I never made eye contact with him, and when Alex managed to get the tie of his robe open, letting the ocean silk slip from his frame, my attention wasn't on Adam anymore.

Alex truly was gorgeous. The longer I stared at him, the more I realized that we really did look almost exactly the same. Alex and I were the same height, with the same basic build and bone structure. I could see the gentle scars poking out of his pale skin, the only physical reminders of his time with Brad. Seeing those scars made the insides of my thighs burn, and not because I'd gotten one tattooed a few days ago.

With the wave of my hand, Alex slowly walked up the steps towards me, leaving his robe forgotten on the floor behind him. I sat up straight, wrapping my arms around Alex's waist, pulling him into my lap. His knees straddled my hips, much like several weeks ago, after I'd asked Adam to let Hiei stay in the palace with us. I'd been in Alex's position and Adam had been in mine. Tommy had just fallen ill and we hadn't really been intimate in quite some time. We had both been needy and desperate, but we never got too far because Adam was called away to look over construction of the pyramids. At least Alex didn't need to worry about that type of intrusion.

"Drake, baby I-" Alex whimpered into my ear, his voice heavy with need. I moaned quietly, dropping a hand between us to toy with the plug I'd put into the man.

"Shh, I know, Alex… I know," I whispered into his ear as he cried out, arching against me.

"Baby, it hurts… please… Please, Drake," he whined and I curled my fingers around the plug's end, slowly pulling the toy from within Alex. He cried out, arching deeply into me as I tossed the toy away, not particularly worried about where it landed. It simply didn't matter. All that did matter was Alex and how much he needed some form of release.

"Relax, Alex… Relax baby, I've got you," I muttered, one arm snaking around the older boy's waist, pulling him closer. I tucked the index finger of my free hand under his chin, lifting it a little. "Oh… Come here," I muttered, pulling him tightly against me, kissing him deeply as my dick pushed up between his thighs, the head slipping into the tight ring of muscle that made up his ass.

When I thought about what it would feel like to fuck somebody, I kind of imagined it was like having someone suck you off, only a little tighter. Adam, and even Tommy, had taken me into their mouths before. They'd even brought me to my undoing with their lips perfectly molded around my erection, but actually being inside of someone? It wasn't even comparable.

Alex sunk down on my erection slowly and it took all my will power not to lift my hips and slam into his tight ass. If I was correct in my logic, Alex hadn't been intimate with anyone since he got away from Brad… That was quite a long time not to have sex with anyone. I felt a little bad about being his first in such a long time, but Alex didn't really seem to care. He was leaning heavily on me, his arms looped tightly around my neck.

He was tight, tighter than I really imagined. I didn't have many references, but I imagined this was probably how I felt when Adam took my virginity, three years ago. When his hips met mine, and my dick was completely shoved into him, I had to lean back against the throne, my eyes slipping shut in pleasure. Suddenly I was a little angry at Adam for never letting my dominate in our love making. Sure, Adam was the Pharaoh of Egypt and, for a long time, I was almost like his possession, but it wasn't fair that he got to fuck me all the time. It wasn't fair that he never shared this amazing feeling with me.

Gods, one day, I was going to make him pay for that.

I dropped my free arm to join the other around Alex's waist, holding him tightly against me. I, to be completely honest, was nervous about a few things, one, being completely horrible as the dominate party, and two, hurting Alex. It had been so long since he'd had sex and I wasn't, exactly, skilled in these matters. Alex never showed any signs of pain though, and when I didn't move for a minute, he whimpered and nipped my neck rather harshly. Moaning, I jerked my hips up into Alex, earning a pleasure filled wail from the brunette. His lips were parted and he came down more on my dick as I pushed up into him, moving in a mirror with me just like I had done countless times with Adam. This truly was the perfect position for lovemaking.

"Gods, Drake…" he whispered into my neck, his head pressed firmly into my shoulder. His lips left light kisses and harsh nips all over the left side of my neck and I was sure to have a few pretty bruises in the morning, everyone would just assume Adam had left them there. "More, please…" he muttered, delivering a particularly hard nip to the spot of my neck right below my earlobe. _"Please!"_

A soft moan came from somewhere in the throne room and when I looked up, I saw Adam standing several meters away from the steps leading up to his throne, his hand shoved down the front of his trousers, groping what I was sure to be a painfully throbbing hard on.

Adam looked so needy, but Alex was just as needy and I didn't let my attention dwell on Adam for more than a few seconds before I turned my head, catching Alex's lips with mine. One hand snaked up the brunette's back, tangling tightly into his chocolate locks. I slammed my hips up into his again and he cried into my lips, giving me the perfect opportunity to shove my tongue down his throat, which he greatly accepted, sucking sweetly on it. If I thought I couldn't get any harder before, I was wrong.

Thrust after thrust, Alex was crying into my lips, his blue eyes blown black with pleasure and need. His body was pressed flush tight against mine, his erection trapped between our stomachs, pre-come dripping down from the head; he was already so close to his undoing. I hadn't even hit that spot yet and I was sure, if I were to even stroke Alex, he would paint us both.

Finally Alex pulled away from our rather filthy kiss to let out a scream that sent shivers running through my spine, telling me I'd found that spot. Behind him, I could see Adam was right at the base of the steps, his trousers gathering around the midsection of his thigh and his erection palmed tightly in one hand.

"D-Drake…" Alex cried, out of breath and trying to catch it. "Fucking Ra!" he hissed into my ear, his hips connecting with mine again, my dick pressing right up into the spot that was forcing him to blush more than he was at dinner. "Please… Please, more…"

Swiveling my hips, I hit that spot again, watching as the beautiful brunette arched like an elegant bow, held by an equally elegant archer. "More what, baby?" I asked, tugging harshly on his hair, pulling his head back enough for me to mark it.

When I sank my teeth into his throat, he cried out, uncaring if someone heard him or not. The only person who probably did hear him, besides me, of course, was Adam, who was moaning quite a bit himself. Alex and I never paid him any mind. I was far too busy trying to make love to Alex. "Please… P-please touch me…" he groaned, coming down hard on my dick again. His fingers threaded into my hair, tugging roughly on it and I cried out, slamming up into him for the thousandth time that night.

I brought one hand around to trace my fingers along Alex's dick, moaning at just how hard the boy had grown. "Fuck…" I whispered, pulling on his hair with one hand as the other wrapped tightly around the boy's member. It was hard to really believe that Alex was nearly thirteen years older than me when I was the one dominating him like this. I felt powerful and, well, old…

It really only took two pumps. Alex froze, clenching his muscles tightly around my erection; the head pressed right up into that spot that drove him crazy. My name kept falling from his lips, his eyes wide and filled with sinful pleasure as his dick twitched in my hand before coming hard all over the both of us. He leaned heavily against me, seeming to be completely unable to hold himself up. I really wasn't sure what to do with myself. For a moment, I just held Alex's limp form to me, staring down at him.

When I looked up, my eyes caught Adam's nearly black ones and I could have sworn I saw my reflection in those needy orbs. Just seeing Adam look like such a bitch was enough for me. I didn't need to thrust into Alex again or touch myself, I merely came, just as hard as Alex had, into the brunette, moaning his name hot and heavy into his ear. Alex tensed around me for a moment, clenching me inside of him before he relaxed, moaning into my neck. I held him tightly, rubbing circles into his sweaty skin, but I felt completely drained. Sucks that I really wasn't anywhere close to being done with my night. I still had to please my husband. It was his birthday, after all… And I hadn't been putting out for him in quite some time. I couldn't fuck his first love and not save any for him.

My eyes stayed locked onto Adam's as he mounted the first step and slowly walked up them, coming closer and closer. My heart was icing over just a little, a tiny bit of worry that Adam might be angry lingering in the pits of my stomach, but I didn't show any fear. "Take a deep breath and hold it in, all right?" I whispered into Alex's ear. He nodded, taking in air. "Let it out when I tell you," I added, slowly started to pull out of him. "Now." He let his breath out slowly, gasping as I pulled out of him. He slumped against me, drained of energy, not that I could blame him. It was hard to get used to having sex, trust me, I would know. It took me weeks to get used to Adam fucking me all the time when I was first brought here.

Adam stopped right in front of us, his trousers around his ankles and his erection hard and flaming angry. "Hey baby…" I muttered, looking up into his sin-filled eyes. It was like watching a movie of all the things Adam wanted to do to me, or maybe to Alex or both of us, I wasn't entirely sure, me hopefully, since I was his husband, but I didn't really have any clue.

"Hey baby?" Adam muttered, his eyes wide. _"Hey baby?!_ That's really all you've got to say to me?" he asked, his hand lashing out to tangle his fingers into my hair, pulling harshly. I cried softly, unwilling to admit to the rush of ecstasy pulsing to my dick. During the time of Brad, and what he did to me, I didn't really like having my hair pulled, but Adam had taught me how to love it since then…

"Get up, now," Adam growled at me, pulling on my hair again. I merely whimpered, holding onto Alex tightly. "You're both lucky that I love you… I'd whip you if you weren't my husband…" The idea of being whipped also sent blood rushing to my spent member, beginning to stiffen into half hardness.

"Then do it?" Alex muttered, lifting his head from my shoulder. I started at him, wide eyes. "Maybe you should put him in his place? He's quite a naughty bitch…"

"Alex," I growled but Adam's smirk shut me up instantly.

"Oh Alex, you have no idea how right you are, but… you've really got no room to talk," Adam muttered, pulling his hand out of my hair and pulling Alex from my arms. "You're just as filthy as he is, maybe even more so…" Alex whimpered, looking up at Adam with wide, blue and shockingly innocent eyes. "Maybe I should fuck you before Drake? Hmm?"

Alex shook his head, managing to slip from Adam's arms. He wobbled a little, probably sore from my ruthless fucking. "Sorry, Adam, but not tonight. My plans were to sleep with your husband and your husband alone. I'm not yours anymore and, tonight, you can't have me. Happy birthday, My King," Alex muttered, pressing a gentle, sweet kiss to Adam's lips before bowing to him. Adam looked stunned and shocked that Alex denied him and, in his shock, Alex snuck down the steps, gathering his robes up into his arms, wrapping himself up in them. "Good night, My Kings," he muttered, smirking at me. "I wish you a happy birthday."

Alex, you son of a bitch. He was going to leave me alone with Adam and Ra was I in for a rough night now… Fuck you, Alexander.

Adam opened his mouth, probably to protest Alex's leaving, but Alex was gone in the blink of an eye. Adam stared at the door and, for a moment, I considered taking off as well. I was still wearing the robe. I just needed to pull it closed, but I wouldn't abandon Adam on his birthday.

"You're such a little bitch, aren't you?" Adam asked, turning towards me again. "Continuously denying me your love in our marriage bed just to turn around and fuck my first love? You sneaky little son of a bitch," he growled, kneeling down in front of me, merely to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me up against him. "How did it feel to be the dominant one? How did it feel to have someone writher because of your actions?"

"I…" That caught me off guard. Adam was trying to act like a tough bitch, but he was happy. I could see how pleased he was, mixed with the lust and something else swirling in his dark pupils. "I'm not really sure how to describe it… I didn't think Alex was going to have me fuck him…" I admitted and Adam looped his arms under my knees, picking me up bridal style.

"Feels amazing, doesn't it? I could see it in your eyes, the pleasure pulsing through your blood stream," he moaned into my ear. "Was like something you'd never felt before, right?" He nibbled on my ear lobe, pulling a soft, strangled cry from my lips. "Are you going to deny me again?"

"N-No, My Pharaoh, not tonight," I muttered, looking up at him with eyes as innocent as I could manage.

He laughed, shaking his head and slowly walking down the steps, clenching me tightly to his chest. "That 'I'm so innocent' thing is not going to work on me tonight, my love," he whispered, nipping at my ear lobe again. "You are definitely not innocent. You just proved that by fucking Alex's brains out…"

"I…" I started, blushing wildly. "It was his idea…" I said, muttering the only defense that I really had. Adam wasn't really buying it though. He merely smirked, talking me towards the door.

"Oh, now I don't believe that for a moment, my love," he muttered, pressing kiss after kiss to my neck. Adam was half naked and my robes were left open, but we didn't run into anyone in the halls. Most people had gone to bed or were still with their friends at dinner. Adam didn't seem worried about us being so exposed. I don't even believe that he really would have cared if someone did see us. "Is this why you didn't let me make love with you these last few days? To make me suffer and ache while watching you and Alex?"

"Partly…" I admitted, looking away from him. "But not completely," I added as we neared our bedroom.

"And what was your other reasoning, my love?" he asked, his tone dripping with intense need and burning want. He pushed the bedroom door open with his hip and walked inside, kicking it shut with his foot.

"I'd have to show you," I whispered into his neck, still trying to figure out if he was angry with me or if he was just pretending to be angry with me.

He laughed darkly, walking down the steps to our marriage bed and tossing me down on it. "And what, my boy, do you have to show me?" he asked, kneeling down next to me on the bed. I blushed a little, leaning against the surplus of pillows that had been on this bed since I was first brought in to be Adam's pleasure servant.

"This," I muttered, bringing my knees up close to my chest, spreading my thighs for him for the first time in a week. Adam's eyes scanned the line of my body hungrily, but they stopped on the long inking embedded into the inside of my thigh and, for a moment, his eyes softened.

"Oh Ra…" he whispered, crawling over to me, trailing his fingers against the large, oval stone with his name written in hieroglyphs. "This is… beautiful…"

"I couldn't have sex with you without ruining your birthday gift… Not to mention, it needed time to heal before you pounded into me over and over again," I said to him, petting his hair gently. "Alex was just… icing on the cake. He came to me with the idea after I got this inking done."

"It's gorgeous… You're gorgeous," he whispered, cupping my cheeks and pressed his lips tenderly to mine. I moaned, kissing him back, parting my lips. His tongue pushed between my parted lips and I sucked on it sweetly, moaning as he groaned into my lips. But… Just as soon as the kiss started, it was over. "But I have to tell you how incredibly jealous I am…"

"Jealous?" I asked, blinking up at him.

"Of Alex, getting to be your first," he muttered, tracing his fingers around the new tattoo. I had a feeling he was going to love teasing the fuck out of me, because the inked skin would always be sensitive.

"He wasn't my first, you were…"

"I was the first person you had sex with, yes, but Alex was the first person you ever made love to… And that is what I'm incredibly jealous of…" he admitted, his lower lip curling into the most beautiful pout.

"I…" I was speechless. Adam had always been so dominant with me. He'd always worn the pants in our relationship, as some would say. I never expected Adam to want me to make love to him. I didn't even know he liked the idea of being on the bottom. "You're really jealous…?"

He nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to my neck. "So jealous…" he whispered, nipping my skin gently and whimpering. "Baby, please… Please, make love me to… Watching you fuck Alex like that... Ra, it made me need you. Please, baby, please…"

For some reason, his request made me blush more than I'd blushed in a long time. "You really want me to take you…?" I asked, staring up at him. He didn't answer me. The look in his eyes was answer enough and I sat up straight, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, cupping his cheeks with my hands. "Then get the lube, baby, you'll need it."

A beautiful blush spread across his face, something that I didn't see all that often. He slipped away from me, crawling over to edge of the bed to get a bottle of lube, vanilla, my favorite… He came back to me, handing the bottle to me and I took it, squeezing a generous amount into my hands, rubbing it into my fingers.

"Lay down, baby," I muttered and he did without a second's hesitation. "Spread your thighs for me, please?" He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut and spreading his thighs wide, his knees sticking up in the air. I knelt between them, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the head of his erection, which was throbbing and pulsing under my lips. He gasped, forcing his hips up enough to push the head into my mouth. I took it, sucking greedily on it, tonguing the slit relentlessly.

"Fuck, D-Drake…" he whined, arching deeply into me. I moaned around him, dropping my slicked hand to circle a single digit around the tight ring of his ass. If Alex was tight, I couldn't even imagine how tight Adam was… I don't think he'd been on the receiving end of lovemaking in quite a long time, if ever.

Slowly, I slipped one finger into him, slow and steady. Adam cried out, clenching around me for just a moment before relaxing. I slowly pumped my finger in and out of Adam, working him open little by little. Adam had let me finger him before, but it wasn't the same. It was completely different because before, I was just doing it to tease him, now I was actually prepping to fuck him and I was shaking like a leaf in a stiff wind.

"M-more, Drake, please…" Adam moaned, thrusting up into my mouth. I swallowed him, feeling his erection bump into the back of my throat. Sucking a guy off was also something I didn't use to enjoy because of Brad, but now I loved sucking on Adam. He was my favorite flavor.

Humming, I slipped a second finger into him, scissoring him gently and stretching him as much as I could, but he was so tight, like a king cobra. How fitting… By the time I'd slipped a third and a fourth finger into him, Adam was shaking and moaning like a bitch in heat. He thrust hard into my mouth again and I moaned loudly, feeling him spill his seed down my throat. I greedily lapped up his semen, drinking it like it was a gift from the Gods.

"Please, Drake… Fucking Ra, please…" he whimpered, his hands coming up to tug on my hair. "Please, I want you so badly…" I could tell, because as I licked his erection clean, he was rapidly growing hard again. "Please…"

"Okay, okay, baby, relax," I whispered, pulling my fingers out of him and leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. He moaned, licking the come I'd missed off of my swollen, slightly sore lips. It tended to happen when I gave head for long periods of time, but it didn't bother me much. "Slick me up, please?"

Adam moaned, sitting up enough to grab the bottle of lube I'd left sitting next to us. He squirted some into his left hand and slowly reached out to me, wrapping his fingers around my cock, massaging the oil into it. I moaned, shaking even more than the first time Adam made love to me. I was so nervous, but I couldn't back out now. I couldn't deny Adam anything he wanted, especially not on his birthday.

"Ra, you're going to feel so good…" he moaned, covering every inch of my dick with the vanilla lube.

"Just promise me you'll tell me if I hurt you…" I whispered, nestling between his thighs, the head of my erection pushing into his tight ring of muscle. Adam cried out softly, nodding in response to my request, but I didn't believe that he would tell me, even if I were hurting him. He just wouldn't do something like that, just like I wouldn't tell him if he hurt me.

Slowly, I pushed myself into him, silencing his cries of pain with a passionate, loving kiss. He kissed me back hungrily, holding onto my shoulders tightly until I was completely buried within him.

I let him rest for a few minutes, just as he had done for me years ago. I knew the stretch hurt him. I knew how much pain he was in because he was so tight. The muscles clenching around me was almost enough to make me come undone right then and there. I knew I was hurting him, because he'd hurt me so badly when he first took me. It was just a pain that you couldn't avoid…

"Drake please, move… Please, I need you…" he pleaded and I moaned, rocking my hips into his, earning a startled gasp from him. I wrapped my arms tightly around him as he arched and his legs wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me deeper and deeper.

Slowly, I built a rhythm of long, powerful thrusts, each pulling loud and throaty moans from my lover's lips. I held onto him tightly, resting my head against his shoulder and nipping his neck harshly over and over. My thrusts were growing fast and erratic quickly, but Adam was that much closer to his undoing.

"Come on, Drake, harder!" he shouted at me, screaming in pleasure as I nailed that spot. He arched into me deeply, pulling me deeper with every thrust. "Drake!" he cried, biting harshly onto his lower lip and all I could do was slam my hips into his over and over again, hitting that spot every single time. "Fuck!"

I groaned into his neck, my thrusts losing all rhythm completely and I just couldn't hold on anymore, but I wouldn't be the first to come. I couldn't, not when I was the one on top. "Come on, Adam… Come for me like the bitch you are… Like my wonderful, perfect bitch," I growled, dropping one hand to wrap my fingers around his overly sensitive dick. He cried out, jerking forward into my hand.

Pumping on him with every thrust I delivered, it only took about four or five to bring Adam to his end. He screamed, arching into me as he came, splattering my hand and both of our stomachs and chests with his seed. Groaning, I licked at some that landed on his chest, thrusting into him once more before freezing, buried deep inside of him. Adam clenched around my dick, just like Alex had and I couldn't hold on anymore. I came hard, releasing deep inside of him, moaning into his chest with his seed on my tongue.

I looked up at him just in time to see his eyes widen in pleasure. I moaned loudly, kissing him lovingly as I collapsed on top of his larger, shaking frame. "Baby?" I whispered, bringing my clean hand up to cup his sweaty cheek. "Baby, are you alright?" I asked, drawing circles into his flesh. He was panting and moaning, but his eyes fluttered open so he could look at me.

"F-fine… It's just… it's been so long since someone has taken me like this. I didn't really think anyone would take me again, but I…" he paused, blushing furiously. "I needed you. I had to have you…"

Pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, I slowly pulled out of him, pulling a soft, hoarse cry from his lips. "Adam, you can have me whenever you want. You've always had me. You always will have me…" I whispered, pressing another kiss to his lips. "I love you, baby, happy birthday…"

"I love you too, my boy, more than you'll ever… ever know…" he muttered, his eyes fluttering open and closed over and over and I knew he was slipping into unconsciousness.

"Sleep, love," I muttered, but I was sure he was already passed out. I was right behind him.


	110. Chapter 110

**Chapter Fifty-Five: Feeling So Much Hatred, Such a Tired Game**

 **Tommy's POV**

Watching Drake and Alex, and eventually Adam, walk out the doors of the dining hall left me feeling a mix of things, one of them being curiosity as per usual, another being a lack of surprise. It was Adam's birthday after all and I knew of Drake and Alex's plans to tease and torture the fuck out of the Pharaoh with what they had in mind. But above those things, those feelings, the main thing that I felt was neglect. Neglect because when Drake came into mine and Adam's lives, I was pushed on the side burner with Adam. I wasn't his only boy anymore, but I was still his boy. And when they fell in love I was on the back burner.

But when the three of them slipped away into the hallway, probably to disappear off to Adam and Drake's bedroom for a round or two of intense fucking, the neglect I felt was not because I was on any sort of back burner. I wasn't on the fire at all. I was shoved away to be forgotten on the floor. To grow cold, hard, bitter and unwanted until a servant boy cleaned me up and tossed me away because I was nothing more than a greasy stain on the tile.

I sat in silence in my seat for a long moment or two as the member's of Drake's family as well as Cassidy and Hiei talked about where they were going and what they were doing, though it was really no surprise. But I wasn't really listening to them. I was thinking about all of the flashes of pleasure that crossed Alex's face every time he moved and the way he and Drake looked all dolled up and dressed in their silk robes. I was thinking about how Drake was going to be the first person to touch and love Alex for the first time in years when it should have been me…

Biting down on my bottom lip, I pushed my plate away, uninterested in staying, before muttering a soft and polite "excuse me" to the rest of the guests at the table, turning on my heel and marching down to the door, shoving it open and slipping out into the hall. My sandals slapped the stone floor of the hall as I made my way back to my room, far from the dining hall. There was something burning in me that I wasn't understanding and I didn't want to be around other people when I was feeling like this.

Turning a corner, I walked through the fading strips of sunlight that poured through the open windows and archways of the palace, the light kissing my skin and warming it to the touch. But despite the luxury of this, I was finding no comfort in it. The sunlight only made me hotter than what my rage had put me into and the light was blinding me when all I wanted was some darkness to crawl into and sleep in.

I wasn't an angry person, naturally. Nor was I really so depressed to this degree. Often I was rather passive, happy and content. I always took what was given to me with a grain of salt and gratitude and if it wasn't particularly pleasant, I made the most and best I could out of it. I was always thankful for those who made my life wonderful and for those who made it complicated I simply let them be with their decisions and didn't let it impact my life.

No, I wasn't angry by any means, naturally. But the stupor I found myself in was only what I could assume to be rage and, perhaps, jealousy. Such jealousy against the man who I used to be jealous of. Jealousy that Drake, whom owned me entirely when I could never have him for my own, not only owned me and our beloved Pharaoh but owned the man I wanted. The man I wanted to love and cherish.

Shoving open the door to my room, I paced back and forth as my breath sucked and pushed itself in and out through my nose, my hands curled at my sides. Part of me was terrified of myself because this was a side of me that I wasn't familiar with. I didn't really know what it meant to feel rage because the only times I'd ever been quote-un-quote angry was, really, when I was frustrated. Other than what happened with Brad. That had been anger. But this was different. This was ravenous envy. This was all consuming.

I must have stewed in this feeling long enough for me to pace it out in an angry burn. Sweat clung to my skin and I sighed heavily, collapsing onto my bed, panting a little bit. My heart was thrashing in my chest and my hands were shaking beside me, but I was otherwise very calm. I stared up at the ceiling of my room, studying every stone and crack in the surface as my hands and heart stilled, and the sweat dried away.

Even though I was relaxing little by little, I could feel the rage waiting patiently behind a paper door within my soul. Waiting to touch its hand to the thin sheet and burn it away so that it could wreak havoc again. I wanted to scream at something. Or someone. But I knew that if I did such a thing I would regret it later. And I hated regret, despite feeling it often.

I let my eyes slip shut, trying to cool off and calm down completely, but it was hard to manage. The setting sun was washing against me and my skin still felt unnaturally hot and itchy, and when I heard the soft patter of sandals against the worn stone outside my room, the itch still had not gone away. I heard a rustle of clothing and a knock of knuckles against the wood of my door. I grunted in response, but refused to open my eyes. The door swung open with a gentle creak of aged hinges before it slipped shut again.

"Tommy?" Alex murmured gently, and I felt my eyes open involuntarily. I glanced over at him, seeing that he was still dressed in his silk robe, but it was pulled tight around his body, his arms holding it in place with the tie hanging loose and on the verge of slipping out of the stitched loops. His cheeks were a little red and he reeked of sex. My stomach flipped and I looked away.

"Did you have fun?" I asked, my voice cold as I stared up at the ceiling. In my peripheral I watched Alex frown as he took a step closer to me, hobbling a little. He was the one who was fucked? I was sure he would have done the fucking.. Unless Adam fucked him. No surprises there, honestly, but I was almost sure that he would have rather fucked Drake. I bit down on my lip, forcing the various images away.

"What's wrong?" Alex muttered, ignoring my question and replacing it with his own. I sighed softly, shaking my head. I didn't want to lash out at him for my own stupid feelings.

"Nothing, Alex. Nothing is wrong." I said, refusing to look at him. Alex sighed softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside me.

"Don't lie to me, Tommy. Something is bothering you and I want you to tell me what it is." I bit down on my bottom lip.

"It's nothing, Alex. Please just leave me alone."

"Tommy.. I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me what's wrong." I shut my eyes, sighing deeply.

"It's none of your concern. I do not wish to talk right now, so please, just leave me be." I hissed, tucking an arm beneath my head. I really, really didn't want to lash out at Alex. If anything, I wanted to lash out at Drake for agreeing to Alex's silly idea. I wanted to scream and shout and yell at him because I wanted to be Alex's first. Was that so hard to understand?

"Thomas, do not shut me out like this. Something is bothering you and that alone concerns me. I'm trying to understand so I can help you, but you're not letting me. Why?" Alex groaned, reaching out to take my free hand in his. I didn't move out of his grasp, but I didn't turn and accept it, either. "Please, Tommy… Please, talk to me.."

My eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly glaring across the short distance of my bed to Alex, "If you really must know, did it ever occur to you that maybe I wanted to be the first person to love you since everything that happened between you and Adam? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe, just maybe, I wanted to have someone for myself instead of picking him up and cherishing him after he's already been had by someone else? Did you ever think just for a moment that, maybe, I wanted you to belong to me? And when you told me you wanted to be intimate with Drake in front of your first lover, did you even think about how much it would hurt me?"

Tears had sprung into my eyes during my rant and Alex sat across from me with the definition of shock written across his face. His robe hung off of his shoulders enough that his chest was exposed, but his hips and legs were covered. I looked away from him as the tears welled thick and angry before sliding down my cheeks. My lower lip trembled as Alex reached out, brushing my tears away with the pads of his fingers.

"I'm so sorry…" He whispered delicately, his voice so quiet I'd barely even heard it in the first place. "Tommy, I'm.. I'm so sorry, I.. I didn't… I didn't think you felt that way about me… At least, not completely like that." My gaze lifted, hurt and cold to his face.

"Of course I felt that way about you. I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't. I wouldn't have held your hand around the palace if I didn't… I.." I trailed off, shaking my head as more tears streamed down my face. Alex whimpered beside me, reaching out to cup my face in his hands.

"Tommy… Tommy, please, please don't cry," he murmured under his breath and I scoffed, rolling my eyes a little. "I'm so sorry… I'm so oblivious to the most obscenely obvious and I'm so sorry…" Alex trailed off, tears glistening in his own blue orbs as he sighed, dipping his head and dropping his hands. "This is why I told Adam I shouldn't stay.." I frowned a little.

"What do you mean?" Alex didn't look up but he spoke without a moment of hesitation.

"I knew that by staying here I was only going to cause harm to others. It's all I'd ever been good at since Adam had thought that I died." I frowned more.

"But that wasn't your fault, Alex. That bastard, Brad, kidnapped you…" Alex shook his head.

"But I should have gone back to Adam when I escaped. I should have gone back to him and explained everything. Then the pain you and Drake felt from him would never have happened. Drake would never have gotten hurt. Would never have run away. You would never have been heartbroken because of Drake and Adam's devotion to one another. You would never have gotten sick, Adam wouldn't have almost died… Tommy, I'm damaged. I've been damaged and ruined since Brad took interest into me. I'm no good… And just like I hurt Adam and everyone around him, I've hurt you…"

"But I want you," I blurted, the blush sweeping like fire across my face, but I didn't fight it. I couldn't fight the honest, naked truth that had slipped from my tongue. Alex's face flamed a little and he looked away from me again.

"You shouldn't."

"I do. And there is nothing you can do to stop me from wanting you; wanting to be with you. You cannot stop me from wanting to love you and cherish you the way Adam used to cherish you. There is not a damn thing you can do, Alexander…" Alex's eyes lifted to meet mine in the kind of gaze that left my bones feeling weak and jelly-like. The kind of gaze that buried itself down deep into your soul, tenderly worshiping it with the most passionate love that not even Gods could know.

"If you desire imperfection like you say you do, then take me. Own me, Tommy. Convince me that you really mean what you say." Alex's words were hard and old, but his tone was soft and delicate with yearning. Young and sweet, almost.

I leaned forward, sliding my hand up and along the line of Alex's chest and over his shoulder, up into his hair to dig and weave as my lips crashed against his. His hand came up to clench my shoulder as I pulled him closer to me, his robe cool and smooth against my burning skin. He moaned into my mouth as my tongue pushed between his teeth and into the warm cavern of his own, my fingers tightening in his hair.

Groaning, Alex slid and straddled my lap, curling his arms around my neck. He pressed his body against mine, his skin damp with sweat and love making. The burn of jealousy lingered in my stomach, but it was a fire being doused with the oil of desire and turning it into want and love. My hand slid from his hair and I rested it against his chest, bringing my opposite hand up to join my first before letting them glide up his chest and over his shoulders beneath his robe, pushing the silk away. Alex gasped softly as the robe pooled around his hips, exposing the top half of his body to me.

We didn't speak. We kissed and we whispered each other's names beneath soft and tender moans, but we didn't speak. Alex's fingers were nimble as they curled around the hem of my shirt, peeling it away from my body and tossing it to the floor, later to be joined by my shorts and his robe. Between kisses, I left gentle nips and pecks on his throat and collarbones, treasuring the sharp moans and sounds that he made.

My hands wandered the lines of his legs, roaming over his hips, feeling every scar and memory that Brad had left into his body, replacing the pain with my own serene touch. I nibbled and chewed on his earlobes, sucking on the sides of his throat as my fingers teased and stretched him open, earning me several pleasured pants and moans. His eyes were screwed shut in ecstasy as I fucked him tenderly with three fingers, barely touching that most pleasurable spot within him before pulling out.

Alex whined as I turned him, pulling him against my chest with his back to me. His head turned and lolled onto my shoulder, face my neck and breathing heavily into my skin. I sat on my shins with my palms on his hips, pushing myself up into him. Alex groaned and arched away from me for a moment, but when I had sheathed myself into him, he gasped and slumped back into me, moaning.

"Tommy…" He groaned, curling his right arm back over my shoulder and around my neck, threading his fingers into my hair from behind. I clenched my jaw, thrusting long and slow into him. Gently, I took my time until he was panting and whining into my skin, and I rocked faster into him. I left kisses into his neck and hair when he wasn't pulling on mine. And if I wasn't doing that, I was leaving sloppy wet kisses against the corner of his mouth, my hips lifting into his backside over and over and over.

Alex arched deeply, crying out in the most beautiful wail I'd heard, and that alone told me I'd found that spot again. I buried my face into his hair, drinking in the smell of his shampoo and his essence as I drove hard, long thrusts into him, the sticky wet sound of my dick roughly pushing in and out of him like the sensual bass line of a song, with the shuddered breaths as the riffs and our moans were melody.

With every thrust in and every drag out, Alex was moaning louder and louder arching more and more away from me. His hand was still buried into my hair, his fingers laced between mine against his hip. I reached down with my free hand, curling my fingers around his erection, pumping once or twice as I slammed into him. Alex's back curved like a bow and he cried my name, coming hot all over my hand and on his stomach. I gasped, jerking sharply into him before coming just after, spilling my seed deeply into him.

Collapsing into my arms, Alex panted heavily with his head resting on my shoulder, turned away from me. I kissed his neck gently, slowly pulling out of him as carefully as I could manage. He groaned, slouching further in my arms as I laid back, pulling him close to me. Dragging the blanket up, I brought it up and against our bodies, covering our hips before taking a corner to clean his stomach off. He sighed, turning to face me before pressing a kiss to my lips, exhaustion showing heavy in his face.

"Don't let me go…" He whispered into my mouth. My heart clenched and kicked in my chest as I kissed Alex hard, cupping his cheek in my palm. We held that kiss for a long moment, well past the time that we ran out of breath before we pulled away, gasping. I caressed his cheek with my thumb, kissing him over and over before speaking gentle and sure against his lips.

"Never, Alex.. I'll never let you go."


	111. Chapter 111

**Chapter Fifty-Six: Just Remember, You Are Not Alone  
Hiei's POV**

Adam's birthday was pleasant enough. Watching Drake completely ignore Alex and Adam's lustful gazes throughout dinner was actually extremely entertaining. Drake had told me at the market what his birthday gift to Adam was and he requested I didn't tell anybody. Perhaps I used to be a thief, but I kept my word, at least. I wasn't a liar by any respects.

I was the only one not confused when Drake and Alex wandered off together, again. It was also no surprise that Adam just couldn't take it anymore and got up to go after them. What was that saying? Curiosity killed the cat? Well, if Adam was chasing his boys, didn't that make him the cat? I could only imagine what sorts of heated passion were taking place in his and Drake's bed.

Cassidy didn't really give me much time to dwell on it though. After dinner was over and we all said our goodbyes, Cassidy took me back to his room, which I had, unofficially, moved into. I never spent any time in my own room because I slept with Cassidy every night. We spent a good half the night making the sweetest, hottest love, almost like it was my birthday instead of Adam's.

Truly, that only made me more excited for my own birthday. Only the Gods knew what Cassidy would do to me then.

But Adam's birthday had been a few days ago. The day after, Adam had spent the entire day locked away in his room with his husband, so the rest of us, more or less, did the same, but the day after that, things were going back to normal. Cassidy had a meeting with Adam and a few officials from a nearby country after breakfast, so I didn't get to see him until dinner, which wasn't really anything new. At breakfast, I noticed that Adam was limping a little, almost wobbling I wondered just what took place between him and Drake, not that it was really my business.

I spent that day alone. Drake had gone to the meeting, since he was the Pharaoh's husband and did have a huge authority over his country. I didn't see Alex and Tommy at all.

Today wasn't much different.

Apparently the meeting Cassidy, Adam and Drake had been in the day before didn't resolve all the issues that they were supposed to be discussing, so they had to go back today. Alex and Tommy weren't at breakfast, and I didn't truly know any of the Drake's family, so I decided to spend another day by myself. It didn't bother me much. I was pretty used to it, honestly. I'd spent my entire life by myself, so finding something to occupy my day wouldn't be too terribly difficult.

"I'm sorry, Love, but I have to go… I'll see you at dinner, alright?" Cassidy whispered, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to my slightly pouted lips. Just because I could find something to occupy my time didn't mean that I wanted something to occupy it. I would have rather been with Cassidy.

Regardless, I kissed him back gently, moaning into his lips. "All right, all right, fine, go save the world, or whatever it is that you do in those meetings," I said, smiling back at him. He chuckled, his fingers running through my hair gently.

"We certainly will try, but I can't make you any promises, Baby," he muttered into my lips before kissing me again, our lips gluing to one another's for several slow, passionate moment.

"Ahem," Adam muttered from behind Cassidy, clearing his throat just loud enough to get our attention. I looked up at him and Cassidy half turned to look up at the king, whom had one arm fastened tightly around Drake's waist, holding the boy to his side. "As much as I hate to pull apart such a beautiful couple, caught in such a loving kiss, we do have our appointments to keep, Cassidy," Adam said, a beautiful smile spreading across his face and his white teeth standing out in a huge contrast with his finely tanned skin.

"I'm sorry, Adam, Sometimes he just reels me in and doesn't set me free for hours at a time," Cassidy said, blushing a little before looking at Drake's form, leaning into Adam's hold. "But I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, seeing as Drake's got his hold on you. You might think he's your bitch, but really, he's got you wrapped around his finger, pulling at your heartstrings until he's satisfied with what you've give him." My lover's smirk only grew as Adam's tanned face deepened into a dark crimson.

"Cassidy!" Drake exclaimed, his eyes widened a little. "You don't have to make me sound like a glorified prostitute or anything, it's not like Adam bends over backwards to give me everything I could ever want…"

"But you see, he does bend over backwards to make you as happy as he possibly can," Cassidy said, smirking even more as Adam's blush deepened even more. Drake blushed a little too, glancing away.

"Cass, be nice. You have to deal with them all day," I whispered, pressing a gentle kiss into Cassidy's hairline. "Save the teasing for dinner, hm?" Cassidy chuckled, kissing me once more before nodding.

"You're right. It's more entertaining with an audience anyway," he said, laughing softly. Adam and Drake both rolled their eyes, lacing their fingers together as they turned out of the dining hall. Cassidy bid me one last "I love you and I'll see you tonight" and followed them out. Sighing, I watched them leave before I stood up, deciding to get a jump on my day full of nothing but myself.

Like yesterday, I decided to head to the library. I'd found several really good books in there since I'd begun working and living here. Believe it or not, I rather enjoyed reading and learning new things. The thing I think I regretted the most sometimes was not finishing my education, but with the father I had? Education was pushed onto the back burner. Reading was the next best thing to formal school and it actually filled up most of my day, unlike pointless strolling around the palace or gardening, though gardening could take quite a large chunk of time, I preferred staying in doors and reading.

Servants were already rushing about the palace, despite the earliness of the day. It seemed like there was always at least a dozen people doing some sort of work, even into the late hours of the night, and they were actually doing work, unlike what Cassidy and I did with one another late at night. I passed several, a few carrying dirty clothing and linens to the laundry rooms, others delivering clean articles to the rooms that were inhabited. A few of them said hello or smiled in my direction, all of which I returned with a pleasant and airy smile. Even though I was alone, I was still in a good mood. After all the loving Cassidy and I had shared over the last few days, how could I not be?

Two large, wooden doors came into view, etched with hieroglyphs speaking of wisdom, knowledge, learning and a bunch of symbols that I couldn't really make out. I never finished my education, mind you. I pushed on one of the doors, pushing it open, but a voice from inside stopped me. I knew people came to the library, usually, to be alone, so I considered turning and leaving to do something else. I could always come back later, but then I heard what he was actually saying.

"I don't understand it, I just don't understand this at all," he muttered and I peeked in, seeing the giant peacock statue that stood in the center. In front of the peacock was a man that, for a moment, I didn't recognize him, but after staring at him for a while, I realized it was the servant boy, Elijah. If I was thinking of the right person, this was the boy who had tended to Tommy when he was in his coma.

When most people came into the library, they spoke to the statue, but Elijah wasn't staring at the statue, he was looking intently at the white carpet at the base of the massive statue. He was standing at the edge of the carpet, his back to me and he was full of tension, his hands curled into tight fists. "I've done everything I can think of while lying low. Nothing has worked. Everything you taught me… Everything you said was so full proof, none of it's helping. I've tried everything I can possibly think of without causing a huge scene!"

His back shook with what I imagined to be sobs and he knelt down on the carpet, bending forward to rub his face against it. All right, that was weird as fuck. Who just rubbed his or her face against a carpet that everyone in the palace has probably walked across? That couldn't possibly be sanitary… or normal, for that matter. Nobody would do that willingly…

He fell silent for a while, as if waiting for some sort of answer, but he was alone, other than me watching him through a crack in the door. "I've got one more idea in mind, but I'm not entirely sure how well it will work. It's the only thing I've got left though…. I won't let you down," he said, keeping his face buried in the soft fur of the rug, as if he were kissing and worshipping it. "I will not fail you, I swear…" he added, turning his head a little to rub his cheek over the carpet.

I was afraid that by turning his head to the side, he would see me, so I closed the door quietly and took off in the other direction. I didn't want to chance running into someone who could, possibly, be clinically insane. I was strong, but I definitely wasn't strong enough against Elijah if he was actually insane. Insanity drove people to do things that, normally, people wouldn't be able to do, or wouldn't do. All I did know what that his behavior was too unnatural to ignore.

I needed to tell someone about this, but the only person I'd feel completely comfort telling was in a meeting for the rest of the day, with the other two people I would consider telling… Well that was just peachy.

My first move was to get as fair away from the library as possible and my second was to go to the meeting hall. I wouldn't interrupt, because I knew whatever they were discussing with those officials was important, but they would be taking a break for lunch at some point. I could talk to Cassidy then.

It took a little over an hour and a half for them all to come out of the conference room. Adam and Drake were holding hands, Drake looking like he'd been bored out of his bloody mind the entire time. They didn't pay me any mind. Adam was probably intent on trying to make Drake happy in the short break they had together. A few regal looking people I didn't know came out, probably the officials from the neighboring country. A moment later, Cassidy came out and I jumped up from the floor where I had been sitting, leaning against the wall.

"Hiei?" Cassidy asked, a little bit of shock flashing through his eyes. "What are you doing here?" I didn't sit around and wait for him to come out, ever, so worry started to form in his chocolate eyes.

"I need to tell you something that I just saw… It was really strange and a little too weird to ignore. I didn't know who else to tell…" I told him, gnawing on my lower lip. Nonchalantly, I glanced around; wanting to make sure that Elijah wasn't anywhere close by.

"What's wrong? What did you see?" he asked.

"That servant boy, Elijah, was in the library an hour ago and he was… like, talking to himself. He was standing in front of the peacock statue, staring down at the white carpet in front of it, muttering about how nothing he was doing was working and he didn't understand what he was doing wrong. He was really rigid and then he started twitching… He was saying how he had one more thing to try and he wouldn't fail whomever he was supposedly talking to, but he was alone… And then he…"

Cassidy's eyes glazed over and I wasn't entirely sure with what. "Then he what, Hiei?" Cassidy asked, frowning softly.

"He… knelt down on the carpet and bent over, rubbing his face against it like he was some sort of animal…" I muttered and Cassidy eyes flashing with something that made my bones chill over. A brief recognition filled the brown orbs before he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips.

"Thank you, Hiei. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but I'll talk to Adam about it… See what he thinks," he whispered, but I was beginning to believe that Cassidy knew more than what he was willing to tell me.


	112. Chapter 112

**Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Sea is High and I'm Heading Into a Crisis**

 **Adam's POV**

My birthday felt like a distant dream from some other life with all the meetings that I'd been having with my advisors and my husband lately. Committee members from our allies in other countries were constantly coming in and out of our palace walls, meeting after meeting, council after council and I was growing weary of it all. Endless discussions and plans and debates. There were rumors of one neighboring country planning to overthrow one of our allies, there were notices of Persia electing a new leader… It was all this and that and I was exhausted.

Some meetings seemed to drag on for hours and hours at a time, and they were never really enjoyable. I knew Drake had no fondness for it, even the ones that were relatively enjoyable, but it was his duty with his position in power. It wasn't as if he could skip out on the politics of it all, but I knew that he wanted to. Drake was an artistic individual, not a political man like Cassidy, Alex and myself.

But he sat through them as best as he could. He often kept a tablet of paper with him and pretended to take notes, but I knew that wasn't the case. He kept the tablet's edge against his stomach with the backing leaning on the table of the meeting room, and he was lightly sketching doodles and miniature portraits. Each drawing took him no time at all and I found myself occasionally glancing over to watch him draw.

Though, upon leaving a meeting one day, I noticed Hiei was waiting for Cassidy just outside the hall. He looked rather upset and frazzled, but before I could go to him and ask if he was alright, Cassidy was at his side, no doubt asking the questions for me. I bit down on my lip, turning away from them as I walked off with Drake at my side, my arm looped gently around him. I tried not to let the strangeness of Hiei's appearance and discomfort bother me, but it had. And my short meeting with Cassidy later that day certainly didn't help.

" _Adam?" Cassidy called to me. Drake had gone to his studio for some quality time to himself, and I had been roaming around the library trying to clear my head from Hiei's appearance this afternoon. Normally, such a thing wouldn't have troubled me, but Hiei wasn't one to wait for Cassidy for hours at a time, right outside the meeting hall._

 _I turned to him, seeing his look of worry, much like the one that Hiei had been wearing earlier. Frowning a little, I closed the book in my hands, clutching it tightly. "Something wrong, Cassidy?" I asked him, and he sighed softly._

" _I believe so. After our meeting today, Hiei came to me and said that he.. He witnessed something strange." I raised an eyebrow, slipping the book onto the shelf from where I had retrieved it before giving him my full attention._

" _What did he see?" Cassidy looked away for a moment, gnawing on his bottom lip before speaking in a soft voice._

" _The servant boy who cared for Tommy, Elijah… He said he saw the boy by the peacock statue, on the rug. He said that Elijah was talking to himself.. as if speaking to someone else, though. Talking of how everything he tried to do was nothing more than failure. And that he wasn't going to let whoever he was talking to down." I frowned a little more, glancing across the library to the white carpet in front of the statue. It was not the original one that had been there. I had that one burned…_

" _Did he see anything else?" I asked and Cassidy nodded once._

" _He said the boy was kneeling on the carpet. As if worshipping it."_

Needless to say I was extremely puzzled and more than a little concerned. What reason would Elijah have to worship a simple white carpet? I could understand talking to the statue, though. I used to do it on a regular basis when I'd thought that Alex was dead. Drake had done it as a sort of comfort when Brad was hurting him. It wasn't uncommon for people to find comfort in it. But a carpet? That just didn't make sense.

I tried not to let it bother me, though. The event had happened a few days ago and nothing else had come up since then. Only more meetings and nights of endless passionate lovemaking between myself and Drake. But it seemed that no matter how good the moment had been, the nagging worry that something was amiss kept crawling back into my head and I would get distracted.

I poked at the remains of my breakfast as the soft chatter of family and friends flittered around the room. Drake was at my side, talking with Hiei about something that I wasn't paying any attention to. While I wasn't, exactly, spacing out, I wasn't in tune with the conversations, either. I couldn't find anything interesting enough to get into but at the same time it was just loud enough that I couldn't completely block it out. And I probably would have stayed in this state of limbo had it not been for a voice.

"Adam?" Drake mused, touching my arm. I blinked, shaking my head and looking over at him.

"Yes, love?" I replied, smiling shyly. I wasn't one for spacing off so suddenly, but it had been happening a lot lately. Drake smiled back at me, rubbing my arm gently with his palm before taking my hand in his.

"Are you alright?" He asked and I nodded once to him. "Are you sure, baby? You've been very quiet these last couple of days."

"I apologize, love. I've just been.. I've been distracted, that's all." I admitted, looking down at our hands. Drake smiled softly at me, squeezing my hand gently with his, his thumb rubbing the back of my hand.

"Is there anything that you want to talk about?" He asked and I shook my head a little bit. Well, that wasn't entirely true. But I didn't want to concern Drake about it. While I wasn't entirely sure that the whole situation with Elijah was entirely harmless, I couldn't see any danger in it, either. It just meant that we had to keep an eye on him.

"No, but I would love to get away for a moment.." I trailed of and Drake raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled. "Take a walk with me?" I suggested, just like old times when he had first been my pleasure servant. Drake grinned at me, nodding once before standing and pulling me to my feet. The others at the table barely acknowledged that we were about to leave, and that didn't bother me in the slightest.

Hand in hand, Drake and I walked out of the dining hall together. The sunlight washed through the archways and windows, setting the walls a glow with warmth. The hieroglyphics and paintings of old legends and stories and victories seemed to come to life as we passed them by. While the idea of a walk sounded like a wonderful idea through and through, I was using it more as a way to clear my head of my conversation with Cassidy… Of Elijah…

We walked in silence for a moment, the soft sound of our leather sandals scuffing against the stone floor of the hall. Our fingers were laced together, the cool curve of Drake's ring against my skin. A smile touched my lips as I glanced over at Drake, squeezing his hand in mine. He leaned into me for a moment, purring softly into my shoulder and I laughed.

"When was the last time we just took a walk like this?" Drake mused softly, pressing a kiss to my skin. I smiled a little, trying to think back to when we had.

"It was before we got married, I think," I said, turning a corner, walking down another long hallway. "Long before we got married, even… Wow, that's depressing," I sighed and Drake giggled, adding a light spring to his step as we ventured through the mile long stretch of our home.

"That is quite a long time," Drake mused gently, smiling up at me. The sunlight washed across his face, making his skin glow and his eyes shine and I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest. I was breathless for a moment, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway as I reached up to touch his face.

"It has, yes…" I whispered, dragging my thumb across his lips. Drake smiled as my palm slid into the crimson locks of his hair, my fingers sliding through them with ease.

"But we've been busy, love. Right now, we are not, so let's enjoy this time we have, alright?" Drake suggested and I nodded once, sighing softly as I continued to run my fingers through his hair. Servant boys and girls passed us by, nodding their heads and flashing delicately shy smiles in our wake before continuing on to their own duties.

"You know how I wish to enjoy my time, love?" I smirked, pulling Drake close, turning towards a sharp corner and down the long line of the hall to our bedroom. Drake's face flamed a little as he clutched tight to my hands, following me as I back peddled slowly to the door.

"More sex?" Drake mused as I pulled our door open, leading him inside. I merely chuckled, shaking my head a little bit as I shut the door again, taking him down to our bed.

"I thought I would kiss you first," I whispered, palming Drake's face in my hands before kissing him tenderly. He moaned into my lips, his arms linking themselves around my waist to pull me closer to him. My tongue slid along his lower lip, splitting the seam of his mouth before dipping in, tasting in the inside of his cheek as I kissed him harder. He moaned again, fisting his hands into the back of my shirt.

Drake pushed me slowly down onto the bed, climbing over me with his knees straddling my hips. He dominated our kiss, trailing his tongue along my lips and just past my teeth, dragging wet, gentle kisses along my jaw and my throat, nipping here and there. I arched into him, moaning softly as his hands wandered down my sides.

"Baby," I groaned softly, tilting my head back a little as Drake licked a small strip of my neck just below my left ear, nibbling into it lightly. "Baby, you tease…" I trailed off, gasping sharply when he bit hard into my neck.

"Of course, love. It's been my duty for over three years to tease you…" he mumbled in my neck, smirking some as his hands slid beneath my shirt. I shivered lightly as his fingertips rubbed against my nipples, teasing them until they were firm.

"You're very good at it," I moaned, shuddering lightly, "Almost too good at it."

Drake smirked down at me, chastely kissing me again. "I only learned from the best, darling. You and Tommy were excellent teachers." I blushed a little bit, smiling at him as he kissed me again and again. I palmed his face gently, rolling over to pin Drake down into the mattress of our bed, watching his hair fan out around his head in the pillows.

"You were an excellent pupil, my boy," I whispered and Drake shivered beneath me.

"When was the last time you called me your boy?"

"Long before we got married. Why, should I start calling you my boy again, Drake?" He flushed a little, his eyes half open as he smirked at me.

"Depends. Should I start calling you My Pharaoh, again?" I shivered above him, the tone of his tongue and the way he said my title curling around my spine and shaking me with pleasure.

"Perhaps you should, pet," I said, hungrily kissing his neck. Drake tilted his head back, moaning loudly.

"Pharaoh.." He groaned and I whined into his neck.

"You tease." I murmured and he chuckled, breathing hot into my ear.

"You like it."


	113. Chapter 113

**Chapter Fifty-Eight: I Really Don't Think You Care  
Drake's POV**

Yesterday Adam and I had taken a walk that led to us spending the entire day in our bedroom. Leave it to us to take something as innocent as a walk through the palace and turn it into something sexual and passionate in the hidden caverns of our bedroom.

Today Cassidy made it a point to keep us apart. I wasn't entirely sure what the Pharaoh and his adviser were discussing, but as long as I didn't have to sit through another one of the dreadfully boring meetings, I couldn't really say that I cared at all. I had a day to myself and Adam had Pharaoh things to deal with. I used to hate when Adam had to go do his Pharaoh thing, but since I had become such a huge part of everything he did when we got married, I was thankful for time I actually got to spend with myself. Well, I was thankful for it as long as the man I loved was away from me for reasons other than illness and borderline death…

After breakfast, Adam and Cassidy disappeared to do whatever it was that they did when no one was around (and I am so sorry, I did not mean to make that sound so dirty). Alex and Tommy were caught up in their own conversations and Hiei was talking with my mother and sister, so I took that opportunity to slip away, disappearing into my studio for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon.

I knew I missed lunch, but it didn't really bother me. I'd eaten more than my fair share at breakfast and I wanted to work up right until I absolutely had to leave for dinner without being late. Knowing me, I probably was going to be late, but the others would understand. When I got into one of my creative funks, it was hard to pull myself away from my work. Maybe my mother and my husband would be a little peeved if I was late, but once they saw the masterpiece I was working on, they'd forget their anger.

Today is was a huge canvas covered beautiful roses of every color with two men, both young and tanned, kissing on the left side, lying in the pile of flowers that spread across the canvas. It was supposed to be Adam and myself, but I painted so it wasn't us perfectly. Both men had a likeness to Adam and myself, but they could have been anyone.

Surprisingly, I finished the entire painting with about thirty minutes left to get to dinner. I'd worked so fast, it was unbelievable, but the final product was gorgeous. I wanted to take it with me to show everyone, but it needed to dry before I moved it off of the easel. There was a bit of light purple paint streaking across my left cheek, but I didn't bother to wipe it away. People always told me how cute it was when I had paint on my face. I might as well use that to the biggest advantage I could get from looking cute and adorable.

I was about half way to the dining hall when I heard some muttering coming towards me. I expected to see Adam and Cassidy come out of the adjacent hall, heading to dinner, but the only person who came out was Elijah, his hands clasped rigidly behind his back. He was muttering to himself, almost hissing and I stopped mid step, staring at him. Part of me said to keep walking, that Elijah was acting rather strange and I didn't want to get mixed up with him, but I was just a little too nice for that. Damn my good willed nature…

"Elijah?" I asked and his head snapped up, his gaze moving from the floor to where I stood.

"My King…" he muttered, his body seeming to tense even more than it already was, if that were possible.

"Elijah," I repeated, taking one timid step forward. "Are you alright? You seem… well, rather upset about something. Is there anything I can help you with?" Okay, Drake, shut the fuck up. You never really know when to keep your mouth shut… Why are you such an idiot? Did your hair dye seep into your brain, or something?

Wow, could I be any more of a self-loather…? Ra, if Adam could hear my thoughts, he would beat me, probably, during sex, knowing Adam, but that was besides the point.

"I'm fine, My King… Just a lot on my mind," he muttered, humming quietly. He kept his hands behind his back and I stopped after one step, not willing to step any closer to him. "How is our Pharaoh feeling? He fairs well, I suppose?"

"Oh… Yes, Adam's doing fabulous, thank the Gods," I said, a touch of a smile painting across my lips. If there was one thing in this world that I was thankful for, it was that Adam wasn't taken away from me.

"That's fantastic news indeed…" he muttered, seeming to grit his teeth.

"Yes… it's great," I said ready to turn away back on my course to dinner. "Try to relax a little, Elijah. You look like you could use a day of rest. Please try to be good to yourself and get some much deserved and needed rest," I said to him, turning to continue down to dinner. I suddenly just wanted to be away from Elijah. I wanted to be with my husband, my friends and my family, where the comfort of my life resided. Right now I was not comfortable in the slightest.

The moment I started to walk away, Elijah was at my side, his hand wrapped in a painful vice grip around my wrist. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?!" he hissed into my ear, his breath hot and heavily, sending shivers through my spine. "I've done everything… Everything he said would work, but none of it has worked."

My eyes went wide and I looked back at Elijah. His eyes were blown black but I knew he wasn't horny, he was angry, almost like he was possessed. "What are you talking about? What are you doing?" I gasped and he shoved me back into the wall of the hallway, one hand still hidden behind his back, but even without the use of one hand, he was still too strong for me to fight off. Shut it, I was small, okay?

Elijah growled at me. "I tried everything, from getting rid of that pretty blonde… When he got sick, I expected the Pharaoh and you to fall apart and to an extent, you both did, but yet you both still ruled Egypt together and you only grew closer together in his sickness."

"Elijah…" I muttered, staring at him with wide eyes. He pulled me off the wall simply to slam me back into it, pulling a soft cry of pain from my lips.

"Shut up, you tramp!" he hissed, tossing me to the floor. He loomed over me, dropping the hand he was hiding behind his back, revealing a large carving knife. "Getting rid of that blond was supposed to be enough to bring you and your precious husband to your knees, but you were both too heartless to care about the boy being deathly ill. You just carried on about your business…" I started to push myself to my feet and he kicked me back down again.

"I don't understand…" I gasped, but I was beginning to put things together. Elijah was the one who put Tommy into that awful coma. Why else would he be talking like this?

"Since that didn't work…" he started, examining his blade like it was a god. "I decided to skip to plan B. If I couldn't bring the Pharaoh's Egypt to an end by hurting his friends, then I would merely bring his life to an end. Without a Pharaoh, this Egypt would have fallen apart and I would have been able to step in easily, but the minute he ate that poison laced food, you were put into power… You stepped in and kept Egypt running like you were born to do it. There couldn't be any more poisoning of you because they started checking all the food. Pharaoh didn't eat enough of it to die and as you kept the country running, he was getting better with constant watch and no more access to him. Again, that failed and now… Now I'm down to my final plan… Getting rid of Tommy and the Pharaoh didn't work out…"

"Elijah…" I muttered, staring up at him as I scooted backwards. "Please stop. This isn't a good thing… You can still stop this. You can still redeem yourself…" I muttered. I wasn't too proud to beg because now I wasn't in a position to do anything else. Elijah seemed intent on bringing me to my undoing, but what would that accomplish? It wasn't going to get rid of Adam. Why did he even want to get rid of Adam anyway? Then I saw it, truly— the knife.

It was Bradley's knife, the one he had used to cut my back and thighs while he was raping me three years ago. Everything about how Elijah was acting reminded me of Brad, in fact, from how he threatened me with that knife to how he spoke like he was better than everyone else, about how he wanted to bring Adam to his end.

"No, there is no turning back. I will not take failure for an option. I'd rather die," he hissed, kicking me again as I tried to get up to run. "Since getting Tommy out of the way didn't work and getting rid of Adam didn't work, that leaves you. Without you, the Pharaoh will not be able to function. He will lose all will to live without you. No one but you will do and without you, he'll fall. He will crash hard to rock bottom, just like _he_ did." By "he" I was sure he meant Brad.

Shaking my head, I managed to push myself up, but I had to turn away from Elijah to use my hands to push me up. Elijah growled behind me and I felt the blade slash through the back of my shorts and into the back of my thigh, sending me back to the ground, blood pooling down over my thigh, staining my white shorts a dark crimson that matched my hair perfectly. I screamed in pain, trying to push myself up again to run, but he was just too quick for me.

"No you fucking don't, you whore!" he shouted at me and despite myself, I could feel tears gathering in my eyes and falling rapidly down my cheeks. "This is the plan that will work!" His fingers twined into my hair, pulling my head back so I had no choice but to watch him lift the knife up over his head, ready to bring it down, stabbing through my chest, right through my rib cage.

"Drake?" I heard someone call and I knew it was Alex. He sounded too much like me to be anyone else and not a second later, I saw Alex emerge from the hall that lead down to the dining hall. He seemed a little worried, probably from hearing me screaming in pain and when his eyes fell on me, his eyes widened, fear and anger flooding into the ocean orbs. "Drake!" he cried and Elijah was distracted just long enough for me to pull myself away from the man.

Alex came to my side. "What the fuck is going on here?!" he growled, putting himself between Elijah and myself as I pushed myself up to my feet, putting most of my weight onto my left side, the uncut thigh. "Drake, go get the guards, go!" he exclaimed over his shoulder, but how did he really expect me to just leave him there by himself? Elijah was going to kill me! Alex being between us wasn't going to stop him, it was just going to end with two dead bodies, not just mine.

"Alex…"

"Just go, Drake!" he shouted at me. Elijah took a step forward, baring his teeth as he lunged at Alex.

"Alex! Watch out!" I cried, but it was just too late. The moment Alex turned his head back to Elijah, he lunged forward, driving the blade of his knife into the brunette's stomach. Alex's eyes went round, just like mine, and Elijah pulled the blood-covered knife out of my friend. Alex clenched his stomach, falling to his knees and I hit my knees next to him, wanting to do anything I could to help him but I was terrified that he was dying. Elijah looked like he was about to attack again, but some voices coming from the direction Alex had come from made him freeze where he stood.

Adam and Tommy walked out of the opening, calling for both Alex and myself and when their eyes fell on us, Adam called for guards as loud as he could. Elijah dropped the knife, backing away to make an escape, but Adam wasn't going to let that happen.


	114. Chapter 114

**Chapter Fifty-Nine: You're Slipping Slowly From My Reach (Without You I'm Nothing)**

 **Adam's POV**

" _Guards!_ " I howled the moment after Tommy and I rounded the corner. I couldn't comprehend, really, what was happening because it was all happening so fast. It seemed, though, in one instance things were beautiful and perfect. We'd heard screams and a commotion and had gone out and in that moment alone those beautiful perfect things shattered into a dark and cruel oblivion…

The noise had been devastatingly shocking. Alex had rushed out of the room before us to see what was going on, with Tommy and I just on his heels. We urged everyone to remain where they were, telling them we could handle it. I saw, though, in Cassidy's face as well as Eric's, to my surprise, the shock and desire to come with us. But their fear could not match mine for I recognized that scream, perhaps, better than anyone with the exception of Tommy.

It had been Drake. And it had been of pain.

We hurried out to see Alex disappearing around a corner, calling out for Drake. There had been a hush of noises, of Alex telling Drake to do something. To run or call the guards or something. He'd told Drake to run before Drake told him to watch out, but watch out for what? Tommy and I had been too far from the corner to see what he needed to watch out from but when we did reach it, I wanted to turn away and scream.

Elijah held the handle of a knife of which the blade was buried hilt-deep into Alex's stomach before twisting it and ripping it free, the gleaming edge dripping in crimson. Alex, whose eyes were blown wide with shock, fell to his knees with his hands clutching his stomach. Drake fell to his knees beside him, tears streaking his face. In the brief moment it took for me to understand the danger of the situation, I saw Elijah's focus turn on Drake, and that he was going to attack my husband just as he had attacked Alex.

I first called for Drake and Alex, as did Tommy. But then I called for the guards.

Elijah's focused snapped to us as he dropped the knife. Alex fell, clutching his stomach as agony etched itself across his face. Tommy froze at my side as Drake stared over at us, specifically me. I could see there in the naturally-blue orbs that were now blown wide and bright with fear that he was afraid Alex was dying. For fuck's sake, _I_ was afraid Alex was dying, but I couldn't put my focus on him with Elijah so close to Drake…

Tommy called for Alex, charging forward before I could even blink. He raced down the hall, crashing to his hands and knees beside the brunette, pulling him close. I hesitated, glancing between Tommy and Alex and Drake before staring at Drake in a short instant. The worry and the terror in his eyes faded, leaving his face blank. His head was turned towards the knife on the floor.

"Drake!" I called, hurrying forward as Elijah took another step back, turning away to make a run for it. My focus shifted from my husband to the servant, and pulsing anger shot through my system. I had every intention to rip that boy to pieces. I could only imagine that he was trying to kill Drake and instead attacked Alex. At any rate, he was a traitor to my land and an attempted assassin, and I couldn't let him leave.

But before I could even reach him, Drake had snatched up the knife, clamoring to his feet before howling, chucking the knife in Elijah's direction. It spun through the air, blood still gleaming on it as I watched it sink deep and fast into Elijah's back, and the black haired servant crashed to the floor with a cry in pain. I froze to my spot, staring at Drake as he charged Elijah down, pouncing on him before ripping the blade out, turning Elijah onto his back. Never before had I know Drake to handle any sort of weapon, and to watch him expertly throw a knife of that caliber with precise aim was… It wasn't like Drake at all.

I hurried closer, coming up beside Tommy and Alex, just in earshot of Drake to hear him cursing Elijah in Egypt's native language before bringing the blade down into the servant boy's chest once.. twice.. three.. four.. I couldn't keep counting, only staring as Drake stabbed him over and over and over, blood flying up and hitting him in the face, soaking his arms and his clothes.

Somehow I came to Drake's side, grabbing his wrist to stop him from stabbing Elijah. At some point he'd begun to cry, for Drake was sobbing when I ripped the knife from his hand. Pulling my husband close to me, I wrapped my arms tight around Drake as he wept into my chest, shaking uncontrollably. Whether it was from agony at what had happened to Alex or realization that he just killed someone, I didn't know. But I couldn't find a drop of emotion to spare. I was frozen. Shocked. I wasn't sure was to think or say, though I knew that my best bet was to hold him and just let him cry.

"Tommy," I said down the hall, and the blond lifted his head to look over to me. Tears streamed his face and his chocolate eyes were dark with grief. He was clutching one of Alex's bloodied hands, holding the brunette in his arms. From what I could tell, Alex was still alive… barely. "Get the doctor." My voice was quiet, almost dead-sounding. I watched blankly as Tommy pressed a kiss to Alex's lips, slowly slipping away before taking off down the hallway. I lifted Drake's trembling form into my arms, carrying him over to Alex.

The brunette wheezed every time he breathed, one hand pressed tight to his blood-soaked shirt. Staring down at him made my traumatized heart clench and break and I choked on a sob, palming Alex's face in my hand, "Oh, Gods, Alex…" His eyes fluttered open as he looked up at him, groaning in pain.

"Adam…" he breathed, weak as he squeezed his eyes shut in a grimace for a moment before opening them again. Drake shifted in my arms, his head tucked against my chest but he was looking down at Alex, shakily reaching out with a blood-covered hand, taking Alex's free one. "Adam, I.. I-I'm sorry…" He whispered and I shook my head.

"No, baby, don't apologize." I told him, tears rolling down my face.

"I had to.." Alex continued, as if I hadn't said a word to him, "He.. He was g-going to kill Drake.. I.. I couldn't let him." Drake whimpered against me, trembling in my arms as I palmed my hand over theirs.

"Baby, shh… It's alright, it's alright. He's fine and you're gonna be fine and it's gonna be okay, Alex.." I whispered to him. Alex's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, his face pale from blood loss as he moaned softly.

"I felt something like death once..but at least that was painless…" He whispered and I shook my head.

"No, don't talk like that, Alex. You are going to be _fine_.. Tommy's getting a doctor and you're gonna be okay.. I promise." I told him, tightening my arm around Drake as I touched Alex's face again. His hard brown eyes shifted to meet mine and there was a heart-clenching kind of pain there that I had never seen before.

"Don't make promise you can't keep, Adam." Alex whispered, taking a sharp breath inward.

"Alex, please.. Don't… You can't die like this.." Drake wept gently, pulling out of my arms to crawl closer to Alex, pulling the brunette's head onto his lap. Alex's eyes fluttered a little and he looked up at Drake, a small, weak smile pulling at his lips.

"I would gladly die knowing you did not, Drake.." Drake shook his head.

"No! No, you can't! Don't play hero on me, Alex, I need you… Tommy needs you, Adam needs you, you can't.." I bit down on my bottom lip as I heard footsteps slapping the stone ground of the hall, and I turned my head to see Tommy and the doctor who had tended to me and the blond so many times before rushing towards us. They knelt down beside us and the doctor moved Alex's hand to examine the wound.

"Let's carry him to a spare room. I'm going to need some strips of cloth to clean it out and he's going to need a bed to rest on."

Tommy lifted him with ease into his arms, carrying him down to a spare room just off of the hallway we'd been in. Guards had swarmed the area, dragging Elijah's corpse away as servant boys cleaned the blood, their emotions masked with vacancy at the scene. No doubt there would be talk of all of this, but for now it was silent.

I half carried half walked with Drake to the spare room. I noticed he was limping and he muttered to me that Elijah had cut his thigh when he tried to flee. My heart lurched in my chest and I held tight to my husband as we followed Tommy and the doctor.

I held Drake in my arms in a large chair as Tommy set Alex down on the bed. The brunette's skin was almost white from blood loss and my heart was shaking and thrashing violently in my rib cage. The doctor worked efficiently, tearing Alex's shirt open to easily reach the wound, ripping cloth into strips before cleaning the excess blood away from his skin. He opened up the satchel he'd been carrying on his hip and set it out on a small side table beside the bed, cleaning the wound with various antiseptics. Alex groaned in pain, clutching tightly to Tommy's hand.

Drake trembled in my arms as the doctor cleaned the wound thoroughly, stitching it shut before wrapping a tourniquet around Alex's arm. "He's lost too much blood. He needs a transfusion or he will die." The doctor explained. Tommy silently agreed to it before Drake and I could even think to move, and the doctor repeated the process on Tommy's arm. He made a small incision in their skin, slipping small tubes into their arms. There was a small metallic pump-mechanism that connected the two tubes, and he worked the machine quickly, blood flowing from Tommy's arm and into Alex's.

Within time, the color in Tommy's face faded some but returned in Alex's before he removed the tubes and stitched the incisions, wrapping gauze around their arms. Alex was on the brink of consciousness as the doctor placed a padding of gauze on his stomach, wrapping it with medical tape to secure it. He poured clean water into Alex's mouth, letting him drink before instructing that he rest.

I told the doctor of the cut in Drake's thigh and he cleaned and stitched it in a quarter of the time that it took for him to work on Alex's wound before leaving the four of us alone the in quiet of the spare room. Tommy curled up on his side beside Alex, pulling the brunette into his arms as Drake and I came to their sides, sitting on the edge of the bed. Drake was covered in dry blood, but this didn't bother than any of us.

"Alex," I whispered, reaching passed Drake to take my once-lover's hand. "What were you saying about making promises I couldn't keep?" I teased and Alex smiled weakly, exhaustion written on his face.

"In that moment I was dying, you ass…" He moaned softly, his eyes slipping shut for a moment before opening again. At least now I didn't have to worry about him never waking up again. He was going to be alright, and that was all I could ever ask for.

"Promise me one thing?" Drake whispered to him and Alex's eyes shifted to my husband.

"And what is that, my King?"

"Don't ever do that again." Drake demanded and Alex chuckled, smiling softly.

"It wasn't my intention, Drake… But if it comes down to something like that again, I will always step in front of you. Egypt can survive without me. It can't survive without you…" He whispered, and I felt my heart clench. Alex was speaking not only of my country but of me. Of Drake's family. Of Tommy, to an extent. Of Cassidy and Hiei. If Drake had been in Alex's position, if he had almost died… I wouldn't want to live. I would cease to be. I wasn't one to think of such horrible things like suicide, but if Drake had died today, I would have gladly taken my own life to be with him…

"Baby, don't say that," Drake hissed at me, and I realized I'd spoken my last few thoughts out loud. "Don't you dare."

"I'm sorry, love, but it's true," I whispered to him, holding him tightly. "I couldn't… I can't live without you."

"As much as I believe that statement more than anything, I have to agree with Drake," Tommy commented. "Egypt has no successor other than Drake. If you two die… She'll be at risk of falling to ruin." I bit down on my lip, resting my head on Drake's for a long moment, sighing heavily.

"Let's not talk of this? Please?" I pleaded, looking to Alex, "I nearly lost you today. I don't want to think of losing anyone else. Not now." Alex nodded once, sleep pulling at his actions. Drake and Tommy mirrored him, but with more vitality than the brunette. I pressed a kiss to Drake's hair, reaching down to squeeze Alex's hand.

"Come on, Drake. Let's get you to our room so we can clean you off. Right now.. Right now I just.. I need to hold you." I told him, lifting him into my arms before carrying him from the room without a second glance or word to Alex and Tommy. They needed their own time as well. Alex nearly died, and his connection with Tommy would have destroyed the blond if he had.

Drake was silent as I carried him to our room, passing through the large chamber and into the bathroom. I set him down on the edge of the tub, starting the hot water before helping him peel of his bloodied clothing. I stripped of my own, helping him into the water, mindful of the stitching on his thigh. He hissed and groaned, refusing to look at the water as it turned pink from Elijah's blood.

I rubbed and washed Drake's body clean of the blood before pulling him to my chest, trembling with sobs as I left kiss after kiss into his hair and skin. Drake curled up on my lap, wrapping his arms around my neck, pressing himself close to me. I held him tightly, refusing to believe that someone tried to kill him. Refusing to believe someone almost succeeded in killing Alex. Refusing to believe that Drake had killed his almost-killer. Only believing in that he was alive and he was mine and I would never let him go.


	115. Chapter 115

**Chapter Sixty: And When You're Gone, I'll Tell Them My Religion's You  
Drake's POV**

"Tell me about the attack, Drake, what happened?" the doctor asked me. He had been the same man who took care of Adam and Tommy when they were sick and the man who saved Alexander's life the night before. Adam requested that I see him because, well… to be completely honest, killing Elijah was something that I honestly wouldn't ever do. Not only would I never do it, but I also couldn't really remember much of actually killing him. I remembered throwing the knife and the next thing I knew, Adam was tugging me away from his limp body…

I knew the doctor, Jonathon, was just trying to help me but I felt like he was treating me more like I was in therapy than trying to figure out why I blacked out like that or what would even cause me to attack Elijah in the first place, other than the obvious reasons. "I… I'm not entirely sure about it all. Elijah came out of the hallway, muttering to himself. He seemed upset and irritated and he gave me the creeps, but I felt like I needed to try to help him. When I asked him if he was all right, he gave me some strange answers and when I tried to walk away, he grabbed me and slammed me into a wall, pulling that damned knife on me…" I told him, shaking my head a little.

"Okay, don't get upset, Drake, it's all right to be scared. You went through a lot yesterday… It's all right. Just take your time," he said, his hands folded neatly over one knee, which was crossed over his other knee.

"He kept muttering on and on about how his attempts to kill Tommy and Adam didn't work for him and the last thing he had left was to kill me. I tried to run, but he just threw me to the ground. Every time I moved he kicked me…" I could still feel the massive bruises forming on my sides. Most of them were already dark blue and covering the majority of my skin. "Then he sliced the back of my thigh open and I screamed because it hurt so bad…"

"How did you get away from him?" he asked, his pale green eyes meeting my slightly rounded ones.

"Alex came from the dining hall, shouting for me. That distracted Elijah long enough for me to push myself up… Alex decided to play hero and he got between us. He told me to run for help, but I couldn't just leave him there with a psycho… Elijah wanted to kill me. He was convinced that if he managed to kill me, Adam wouldn't have the will to do anything and Egypt would fall apart. So, in order to get to me, he stabbed Alex and tossed him to the side, like he wasn't even a person," I said, closing my eyes and repeatedly watching Alex fall, clenching his stomach tightly. "Then he started to come for me again, but I didn't run away from him. I went to Alex's side because I needed to save him…"

"What stopped Elijah from killing you too?" he asked, his tone gentle and kind.

"Adam and Tommy came rushing in from the dining hall, calling for me. Elijah dropped the knife and tried to make an escape but I just… I couldn't let him leave the palace. He tried to kill Tommy, Adam and me. He stabbed Alex and I'm sure that he's the one who killed my baby sister three years ago. He was working for Brad. He was trying to continue what Brad started a long time ago, to destroy Adam's Egypt. Anna was murdered after Brad was put in prison. It had to be Elijah who killed her. He caused so much pain and suffering. He committed so many crimes, not just against individuals but against all of Egypt and I couldn't let him leave," I said, clenching my fists tightly into my trousers. I was wearing long pants today, something I never did, just so I could hide the slash on my thigh and the horrible bruising.

"So what did you do?"

That's when I truly couldn't look at him. I glanced away, biting on my lower lip. "I just wanted to stop him. I didn't have any intentions of killing him; I just wanted to make sure he couldn't leave. Once Tommy and Adam were with Alex, I moved away, crawling over to the knife Elijah had dropped and I threw it at the servant's back. It sliced in easily and he fell to the ground…"

"How did you throw the knife so well?" he asked. "That's not something you just learn over night."

"Before my… father died, he took me hunting a lot. He taught me how to handle a knife and a gun. It was the one thing that he taught me that I actually learned very well. It was the one thing I could do that he was proud of…" I muttered. "I'd never used a weapon on a person before yesterday though, just animals."

He nodded, a soft smile stretching across his lips. "All right, so what happened after you threw the knife at him?"

I shook my head. I couldn't really remember anything but black after I pushed myself off of the floor. "I don't know. I mean… I do know, but I don't remember it. I pushed myself off the floor and then everything went black. I _know_ that I attacked him. I _know_ that I stabbed him in the chest several times until he was dead, but I don't _remember_ it at all. It's like from the moment I threw the knife to the moment Adam was pulling me away from the body… It's just not there. It's not in my mind at all. I know… I know I sound crazy, but you've got to believe that I'm not… I'm not crazy."

Jonathon shook his head with that smile still warm and comforting on his soft pink lips. "I don't believe you're crazy, Drake, not in the slightest," he said, unclasping his hands.

I was honestly caught off guard. Usually, when I thought of people doing things that they didn't remember, it was because of some sort of mental insanity. "You… You don't?" I questioned, sounding more like a child than I had been in the last three years.

He chuckled ever so faintly. "No, Drake, I don't think you're crazy. Do you remember when the Pharaoh was poisoned and I told you that you were suffered from slight anxiety?" he asked and I simply nodded. "Well, I think that the informal diagnosis of 'slight' anxiety was a little off. I think you do have anxiety. It's nothing to be ashamed off or upset about. It's quite normal."

"But… I've never been like this before…" I said, frowning a little. I didn't like the idea of having a formal diagnosis of anxiety but it could have been much worse.

"Well, you probably didn't always have it, but you did have a poor childhood, which was kind of like the base for anxiety. Being taken from your mother and younger siblings didn't help much, but it wasn't too bad because you fell in love and had a great home. The rape and torture you endured with Brad started to build up the anxiety but you had a good support system to get you through that. Anna's murder was, I think, the first really big stepping stone, but still you have the love and support of your lover and friends. Recently things have gotten very bad. Your best friend fell into a coma, possibly never waking up, your husband's first true love popped up into your life, making a huge stress on your marriage, your falling out with your younger brother and your husband being poisoned and almost killed was a lot for you to handle, and your support systems were cut short because so many people were getting sick or hurt," he explained, staying calm and comforting. "Almost being murdered yourself wasn't something you could easily deal with, but watching your friend get stabbed? I think that was your cracking point. How did you feel when Alex was stabbed by that man?"

"I… felt guilty, for starters. He was stabbed because he was trying to protect me. He was in the way of me being killed and I felt like him getting hurt was my fault," I muttered. "Then I felt like he was dying and I was going to lose him just as I lost my baby sister…"

"So the grief of possibly losing someone so close to you were too devastating for you to bear. You felt hopeless and there wasn't much else for you to lose," he told me. "You lost yourself in a fit of rage. Feeling like he was going to die, that you were going to lose him was just the last thing a young man like you could possibly endure. That's when I believe your anxiety kicked in. You couldn't control it and you shouldn't feel remorse for that man. He was an awful person, a murderer, and you were only protecting your family and your country. There is no shame in what you did, Drake."

"But I murdered someone! I don't care about him, but I do care that I killed someone… I care that I couldn't control it and I'm afraid of what else I might do. I'm afraid of myself…" I muttered, wrapping my arms loosely around my stomach.

"You're not a murderer and you don't have to worry about the episodes often. They shouldn't be frequent, but I'm going to give you a prescription that should keep your anxiety levels down to that of a regular person. As long as you take the medicine, you won't have an issue," he said, reaching into his bag to pull out a small, decorated glass bottle with dozens of tiny white, round pills inside. He handed it to me and I took it, sighing. "Just one when you wake up and you should be completely fine."

I felt like I was really was crazy.

"Will I need to take these for the rest of my life?" I asked him.

"No, probably not," he said, shaking his head. "But for now, you do need them. Just until things calm down and you start feeling normal again. We'll just need to play it by ear for a while."

"All right," I whispered, clenching the bottle in my hands. "Thank you, Jonathon."

He bowed to me. "Always a pleasure to help, My King," he said and I thanked him again, dismissing him before I stood from the bench I'd been sitting on throughout the meeting. I stretched out a little before venturing down to me bedroom, the pills held tightly in one hand. I didn't want anyone to know about them other than the people closest to me. I felt that, if people knew, they wouldn't treat me the same. I wouldn't be the Pharaoh's husband anymore. I'd be his insane lover…

Adam was just coming out of the bathroom when I walked in. He was wrapped in a towel and nothing else, water dripping from his hair. He must have bathed after sleeping in late. The only reason I was up was because I was meeting with the doctor.

"Hey baby," he said, a soft smile on his lips. I sighed, setting the pills down on my vanity after popping one into my mouth. If they were on my vanity, I'd at least remember to take them every morning, since I used my vanity every morning. Adam eyed the bottle before walking over to me, wrapping his arms loosely around my midsection, probably mindful of my bruises. "How'd it go?" he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to my hairline.

"Well, I'm not crazy…" I muttered, turning in his arms to face him. "But he said I suffer from anxiety that's just been building up over the last couple of months and because of what Brad did to me a few years ago… He said that's why I blacked out when I attacked Elijah, that seeing him stab Alex was just like the final straw for me. It was my breaking point…"

Adam frowned, his arms tightening around me just slightly. "What did he say you should do about it?" he asked, running the fingers of his left hand through my hair, trying to sooth and comfort me.

"He gave me medicine," I said, eying the bottle on my vanity. "He said if I take one of these pills every day I'd be fine. He said I won't have to be on them forever but for now, I should take them…" Tears were gathering in my eyes and Adam frowned, kissing me gently.

"Baby, it's all right, don't get so upset… This doesn't change anything about you," he said softly, pressing another kiss to my lips. "Please try to relax. It's not your fault, baby. You've been through so much throughout your life and you're so young. I'm surprised you lasted this long without developing anxiety, but it doesn't change you. You're going to be completely fine, okay?"

I just nodded. "Just… Just don't tell anyone, please. I don't want everyone to know about this. They wouldn't treat me the same…"

He kissed me again. "Baby, I won't tell anyone. I won't tell a soul. I leave who you trust with this up to you, just know that I will always be here for you and I will always love you. I'll be your biggest support, all right?"

Tears did splash down my cheeks at that. "I love you Adam," I said, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck as I pressed a loving, hungry kiss to his lips. He moaned, palming my face in one hand and holding me close with his other arm.

"I love you too," he whispered into my lips. "More than anything else, more than life…"


	116. Chapter 116

**Chapter Sixty-One: Here Comes The Night, Here Come The Memories**

 **Adam's POV**

 _I flew from the doors of the dining hall, my sandals slapping the stone floor of the palace hallway as I raced around a corner and down a long stretch that seemed to last forever. Windows and arches passed me by in a blur but I felt like I was running at a tortoise's pace, barely making it a few feet at a time. My heart hammered in my chest as sweat rolled down my face._

 _I'd only just heard the scream of pain and I instantly recognized it to be Drake's. I had been waiting for him for dinner when it sounded through the room. There was a vague memory of Alex taking off before me, but as I had pushed my way to the doors, those seated at the table, Alex and Tommy included, vanished behind me into darkness. And every step I took forward, more of everything behind me faded away. Like I was running from oblivion._

 _Panting heavily, I slowed at the corner when I felt hands grabbing at my arms. I turned, seeing Tommy standing in the darkness, his face ash white with shock and pain, tears running down his paled cheeks, and I frowned at him. "Don't, Adam," he said to me, squeezing my arms harder in his hands, "Don't go there.. Don't look.. Oh, Gods, please, please don't look, Adam…"_

" _What are you talking about Tommy? I need to go find Drake!" I told him, trying to tug free, but he only held me tighter. He was shaking like a leaf._

" _Don't go! Don't look! Don't…" He trailed off, his eyes swimming with anguish and sorrow. I pulled out of his hold, taking a step back from me as a smoke screen of black washed around him. The air felt thick and cold and I turned, hurrying around the sharp edge of the wall. But at first there was nothing. Nothing but the smoke and the_

 _black and I coughed, my sweat drying cold as my breath plumed around my face. I took a step forward, feeling my foot sliding through something slick and I froze, glancing down to see the leather was soaked in red._

 _Gasping, I stepped away again, my footprint left in the blood. Despite the near darkness of the hall, it gleamed as if there were thousands of lights shining upon it, glistening in its malice. My stomach churned and flopped over itself as I lifted my head, watching the smoke and the darkness clear away. The floor, stretching on and on it seemed, was soaked in red. Red sprayed the walls in a few spots and I bit my tongue, stepping forward and into the massacre._

 _Bodies were piled over one another. Bodies of those who had betrayed me and my father, my grandfather and his before… Faces I didn't recognize and faces of people I used to know. Bodies and faces of those from my kingdom who had been done wrong and had been victims of hate and injustice. Innocent faces. Some where even children…_

 _I carefully walked on, trying my best not to slip and fall into the mess for fear that it would suction me down and hold me there until its poison seeped into my system and soul, dragging me down to the Underworld where the rest of these poor souls were stranded. The more I walked, the more smoke cleared away until I saw the body of a young child I never met but knew all too well._

 _Anna._

 _Gasping in horror, I tried not to stare at her eyes, opened wide and unseeing in the faint fog of smoke that clung to her frame. Her throat was still marred with the rope used to strangle her, and I knew that if I rolled her over, her back would still bear the fresh cuts. I clenched my jaw, slowly making my way around her, a part of me fearing her pale blue eyes would snap to meet mine and she'd reach out for me with longing._

 _I lifted my head, watching as a soft wind, stale with the smell of death, pushed away the last of the smoke to reveal a man who faced me though shrouded in shadow, one hand clenching crimson locks in a vice-like grip, the other wielding a knife of which the blade was buried into the chest, no doubt through the heart, and protruding out of the back of my lover._

 _I stared, unable to breathe as I watched Drake's hands, locked around the wrist of the hand that held his hair, fall away. His body went slack as the man ripped the knife free of his body, letting him fall back into the thin lake of blood upon the floor. His face was pale, lips parted in a pained gasp as the horror of his expression froze, and he stared up at the ceiling in eternal sleep._

" _No!" I screamed, pushing myself forward as fast as I could, slipping and sliding through the blood before I fell to my knees beside Drake, lifting his body into my arms and cradling him to my chest. His eyes were blank, but his body was still warm in my hold and I trembled violently as the tears began to wash down my cheeks. "No.. No, Drake! Baby!" I called, pushing his hair out of his face, smearing the blood from the floor across his skin. It had gotten onto my hands when I dropped to him…_

 _I whimpered, murmuring "Oh, Gods" and "Drake, no" and "Drake, please wake up" over and over, kissing his lips and trying with my heart and soul to breathe life back into him. But the more I tried, the colder he grew. The colder he grew the more my heart began to ache. I pressed kiss after kiss into his hair, his skin and his lips, anything I could to revive him.. Anything.._

 _My tears splashed against his face as a shadow crossed over us. I looked up to the man who had slaughtered my baby, the urge to destroy him running hot like fire through my veins. A light glowed behind him and I could not see his face until his hand lashed out, grabbing me by my hair, pulling me off of my shins and onto my knees. I howled, holding tight Drake with one arm as I clawed at the man, tears still streaming down my face._

" _You thought you would have it all, didn't you, Adam?" His voice curled around my throat and made me tremble. My eyes widened as his face came into clear, his brown eyes pooled red with revenge and victory. "You thought you would have the perfect life, love and world.. A world your father had only ever dreamed of."_

" _No…" I whispered, shaking as Brad lifted the blade of the knife to my chest, pressing the tip into my skin through my shirt._

" _You were wrong… Egypt is mine. And what is mine, I shall have." He hissed, shoving the knife hard through me, ripping a scream from my throat…_

Gasping, I shook awake. Sweat pooled in my hair and covered my skin in a glistening sheet. My heart thrashed in my chest as I looked around in fear, trying to find Brad in the darkness. The more I looked, though, the more I realized that the darkness of the room was not by any means of smoke but because it was dark outside. The moon was still washing through the windows of my chamber, and Drake was sleeping soundly in my arms.

I turned to him, holding my breath as I slowly lifted a hand, trailing my fingers against his cheek. Warm, soft skin ran beneath my fingertips and I sighed in relief that I had never known before. Trembling, I bent my head, pressing a soft, chaste kiss to my lover's lips, tasting the warm sweetness of his breath before I unwrapped my arms from him, careful not to wake him.

I slipped from the bed, padding naked across the floor before snatching up a silk and cotton robe from my vanity chair, pulling it on and tying it shut around me. My hands were shaking and my breath was uneven as I slid out from mine and Drake's chamber, tears welling in my eyes.

It was not uncommon of me to have that dream. It'd been a reoccurring thing since the attack, which had happened almost two months ago. I'd talked to Jonathon, the doctor who had so kindly tended to me, Tommy and Drake in all of our times of need, and I had asked him if it was normal to have such dreams to this detailed extent. He'd told me that it was perfectly normal, despite the horror of it. While he prescribed me no medicines, he told me that the dream would stop reoccurring with time.

He had told me, though, that the reasoning for my dreams was similar to the reasoning behind Drake's anxiety, and that I even had it myself, to an extent. We'd both suffered traumatic experiences in our lives; Drake endured a rough childhood and was the victim of sexual abuse and constant pain, and I had lost my family and those closest to me while under the strain of ruling a kingdom. We fell in love and suffered mistakes made by one another when they could have been prevented. We had almost lost Tommy. And we almost lost each other…

Letting out a heavy breath, I pushed off from the closed door of my chamber, walking slowly down the hallway. A cold wind washed through the open archways as I walked, a chill running down my spine as I sighed softly, slowing my pace. I came to a stop beside one of the pillars of an arch, leaning against it as I stared out across the city. Shadows of houses and buildings, the bazaar nearby dark with the night. The moon hung low and full in its orb, a few soft clouds wrapped around the sphere.

In all, Egypt was a beautiful place. Full of magic and wonder, life and liberty. I had been trying my hardest for twenty years, now, to keep it prosperous and rich. Twenty years of making peace with countries like Persia, India, France, Germany, Russia and China. Twenty years trying to better the economy, to bring down slavery and work houses. Some called me hypocritical when I explained the slavery issue, especially since I have servants of my own, but I treat them well. I treat my people like family. In fact, most of my servants had situations much like Hiei's. They had debts to pay off and I offered their freedom when they were done. And they chose to stay.

With Drake, Tommy and Alex, I'd gone at their pace. I let them warm up to me a little before taking what I wanted of them. With Drake, I hadn't been nearly so patient, but that was only because Tommy had warmed him up to the idea first. Besides, Drake had told me countless times before. I could have let him wait. But he couldn't deny me. He didn't want to.

"My Pharaoh?" A voice murmured behind me and I jumped a little, turning my head to see Cassidy coming towards me with a robe drawn tight around him, the tail ends of the fabric pooled around his ankles and dragging a little on the stone floor. It hung off his shoulders a little, tied shut. His arms were wrapped around his stomach and he frowned at me, coming to my side. "Is everything alright?" He asked.

I looked away, resting my head on the stone of the pillar, "Yes, Cassidy. Everything is fine." I told him, staring out at the city again. I drew my own robe tighter around me as another wind kicked up.

Cassidy frowned in my peripheral and he brought a hand to rest on my shoulder, "You dreamt about it again, didn't you?" He asked. I didn't say anything, nor did I move for the longest time. I stood there, with Cassidy's hand on my shoulder, staring out at the land before me in silence. Cassidy was, perhaps, the only person who knew other than Jonathon about my dreams. I didn't want to concern anyone else with them, especially Drake. He was the last person who needed to know that I dreamed about him dying in front of me on an almost nightly basis.

"Adam… I thought those stopped?" Cassidy continued and I refused to look at him, tears stinging my eyes. "You told me they stopped… like… weeks ago…" I turned a little farther away from him as a tear rolled down my cheek. Cassidy sighed softly, pulling me close and into his arms, tucking my face into his neck, his fingers running through my hair. He gently tugged out a few of the snarls from my shaggy hair, which was overgrown and pooling around my shoulders in their midnight locks.

"Drake still doesn't know, does he?" I shook my head.

"No.. Tommy and Alex don't, either. You're the only one." I admitted softly. My throat felt like it was trying to close up on me and it was hard to breathe as images from my ever repeated dream flashed through my mind.

"It's still the same, isn't it? The hallway and the smoke?"

"And Brad…" I finished, trailing off. Cassidy tensed around me, pressing a kiss to my forehead before pulling away. He sat me down on the edge of a stone bench in front of the arch. "Brad is always there…"

"I'm sorry, Adam." Cassidy whispered, but I shook my head, wiping away some of the stray tears.

"It's not your fault. I wish it didn't happen because I know at some point Drake is going to ask me why I keep waking up in the middle of the night looking like I really lost him that night when, in reality, he's right there in my arms…" I sighed shakily, running fingers through my hair as Cassidy sat down beside me, resting his hand on my thigh. I shook my head, licking my lips, "But why are you awake? Shouldn't you be with Hiei?" I asked him.

"Actually… That's what I've come to talk to you about. Hiei and I have been up talking all night." Cassidy said softly and I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Talking?" I inquired and my advisor rolled his eyes, nudging my arm.

"Hush, Adam. Like you're no better with Drake. But, yes, we were just talking." He said and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Talking about what?" I asked him, and I watched as Cassidy's face took on such a serious look that it made my stomach churn. He looked away for a moment, biting his lip before sighing softly.

"By no regards have Hiei and I been together as long as you and Drake, but even you would agree that we are very much in love," I nodded once, smiling at him, "And… We've wanted this for quite some time, but we never found the right moment to ask you about it. But I feel like if we keep putting it off, we'll be waiting. And I can't wait anymore."

I frowned, tilting my head to the side a little. "Waiting for what, Cassidy? What do you and Hiei want?" I asked and Cassidy looked up at me, smiling soft and gentle.

"Hiei and I wish to be married."


	117. Chapter 117

Just a reminder, this part of the trilogy went unfinished. I will post a final chapter to summarize what would have happened to the best of my abilities. I believe I had the odd chapters here, and my collaborator had the even ones and started with the prologue below.

* * *

 **Azizi Eshe: Prologue  
Hiei's POV**

Five months ago, like, was Hell. People were being poisoned and threatened by murder. It seemed like no one in the palace was safe and, in truth, nobody was safe. Five months ago, give or take a few days, Drake had almost been killed and, in turn, killed his attempted murderer. It was hard to believe that so many horrible things happened not too long ago when everything in life seemed to be glorious now. Adam and Drake were back to being that cute, loving and enviously-adorable couple they always had been. Tommy had gotten over his love for Drake, mostly, and had fallen in love with Alex instead. Everyone was getting back to the normal routine of everything.

Oh yeah, and today was Cassidy's and my wedding day.

After all the horrible things that had happened, Cassidy had told Adam that we wished to get married. Adam was thrilled and, if possible, Drake was even more thrilled. He insisted on helping plan the wedding and to be honest, he did most of the planning and decorating, but everything was absolutely perfect and wonderful, much more that Cassidy and I could have done. The only thing that Drake didn't do was our clothing. Cassidy did all of the work on our outfits and now Drake was helping me to get into my wedding clothes.

"Are you excited?" he asked, pulling the top over my head and pinching the fabric in the back, tight enough to hug my curves but not too tight.

"Yes, I am… I love him," I muttered softly, my stomach rolling over and over and over. I felt a little light headed and a little sick to my stomach, but I knew I was making the right decision, considering I'd never felt more alive than when I was with Cassidy, especially when we were caught in a beautiful, passionate kiss or a heated intimate scene. "I love him…" I repeated, trying to calm my stomach.

Drake smiled at me in his mirror. I was in his and the Pharaoh's chambers. Adam was off helping Cassidy get ready and he was going to escort Cassidy to the altar, shortly followed by Drake escorting me, even if he was younger than me. "It's all right to be nervous, Hiei. It is a bit… nerve wracking, but once you're up there, holding Cassidy's hand, you won't regret it," he told me, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Were you nervous when you married Pharaoh?" I whispered, sounding more like a child than I truly was. Drake nodded, still smiling softly at me. He had me sit down on the vanity's stool, turning me to face him.

"I was extremely nervous," he said to me, walking around to pull the top drawer of his vanity open. He pulled out various cosmetics, like paint for lips, eye shadow, blush, eye liner, foundation and various brushes of all sizes and thicknesses. I wasn't entirely sure if a man was supposed to have so much makeup, but Drake always looked gorgeous, so it couldn't have hurt too much to have it lying around, you know, just in case.

"And you got over it?" I asked, closing my eyes as he took a large powder brush to my cheeks, coating my face with foundation.

"I was nervous right up until I stopped at the altar and Adam took my hands. After that I was just filled with love and… I realized that nothing was going to make me happier than marrying Adam," he said and he started drawing around my eyes lightly with eyeliner. "Open your eyes for me, baby." It was funny how Drake called everyone baby, but nobody ever took it the wrong way. Drake was just loving and adorable to everyone around him. It's just who he was. It didn't take me too long to figure that out. Drake and I had gotten really close, especially over the last five months.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at him. He finished my eyeliner makeup, drawing what I was sure to be the Eye of Horus around my right eye. He set the little tube aside and picked up a pallet of eye shadows with a smaller, finer brush. "And do you ever regret your decision now?" I asked as he highlighted my eyes with a soft, shimmering red color.

"Never," he said, picking up another, bigger brush and dragging a soft pink-ish red across my cheeks, giving me a little more color. "Adam is everything I've ever hoped for and more. He makes me so happy," he said, smiling softly with a beautiful sparkle in his eyes. He picked up a red lip stain and a fine brush, painting my lips evenly. "And if you really love Cassidy as much as I know you do, then you won't regret it either."

"Is your marriage everything you wanted? Are you happy every night when you fall asleep in Adam's arms?" I asked, smiling brightly at him.

"Yes, well, mostly. It's all more than what I wanted, but my marriage isn't perfect. No marriage is perfect but it's as close as possible. Adam makes me feel so… alive and even when I'm angry with him, when I curl up in his arms at night, I'm happy and in love," he said, teasing my hair some and spraying some hair spray into it to keep it's hold. He turned me towards the mirror again. "Do you like it?" he asked. The reds of the makeup accented the white and gold design of the shear top, golden jacket and shorts that went down to my mid thighs. I kind of looked the way Drake did all the time, just more glamorized since I was getting married.

"Beautiful," I said, smiling softly and standing from the stool to hug Drake. We were about the same height, which I hated since Drake was kind of, sort of short, which made me short. "And you look beautiful too," I added. Drake blushed softly. He was dress similarly, just not as flashy. His robe hung to his mid thighs, his shorts ending at the same spot. The robe was white with a few golden details, while mine was all gold. His shorts were all white with gold trim and his cropped top was all white. His makeup were light shades of purple and blue, with the same red stain he'd used on my lips. All in all, he was much more subtle, but still extremely beautiful. His hair was even pulled up into that cute, lopsided ponytail of his. He hadn't worn that in quite some time but it was adorable and he looked so cute and innocent. Ha, that was funny. Drake innocent? Hilarious. He hadn't been innocent since the first night he came to the palace.

"You ready for this?" he asked, offering me his arm. I was sure Adam was already on his way out to the wedding with Cassidy. We originally wanted it in the gardens, but Drake came up with this beautiful design on the large stairway in the front of the palace. He'd decorated it with all sorts of tapestries and beautiful jewels. He even painted a perfect painting of Cassidy and myself for the centerpiece. The reception was going to be held in the garden and if I got my way, our love making would also take place in the garden.

"Not really, but I don't wanna wait anymore, either," I said, looping my arm through Drake's and walking out of the room with him. He led me through all of the winding halls, which, by now, I had memorized. He took me through the throne room and out to the front of the palace. Cassidy was already in place, dressed similarly to me only with reversed colors and he was breathtakingly gorgeous.

"Just remember, you love him. You'll be all right," Drake whispered to me, walking me over to where Cassidy stood, waiting at the altar. Drake held onto me until Cassidy reached out and took my hands, pulling me from Drake's hold. I blushed deeply, watching as Drake moved to the side to stand with Adam. They laced their fingers together, standing close, but I wasn't focused on them. No, I was focused on Cassidy. I couldn't believe that I was really marrying the first person I'd every loved, but Drake was right. When Cassidy took my hands and smiled his perfect white smile at me, my stomach stopped rolling and I smiled back, trying to ignore the blush that spread across his lips.

The ceremony was beautiful. We said our vows in the ancient language, which Drake had to help me learn and memorize. Cassidy gave me a ring that was similar to Adam's after he spoke his vows and then I took my turn, struggling with a few words, but managing to get it out. Cassidy never looked disappointed with me, he just smiled and squeezed my hands for reassurance. I'd never seen him look so happy…

I'd never felt so happy…

Once I'd finished my vows, Cassidy closed all the distance between us, pulling me tight against him. Our lips meshed together in a heated and loving kiss that left me a little achy but not enough to actually worry about it. His arms snaked around my waist, holding me tightly, like I was the last thing he'd ever have in this world. I hoped he didn't actually feel like that, because he had so much going for him, but it felt amazing to be so loved and cherished. I hoped that I was giving him the same emotions with my kiss.

"I love you," he muttered into my lips, one hand coming up to cup my cheek. He muttered the words "I love you" in a few languages that he mastered and I blushed frantically, returning his declarations of love. I couldn't really believe that I was married now. It only took about twenty minutes for us to go from just being in love to being husband and husband.

"Let's go have a wonderful party, baby…" I said, taking the hand that was cupping my cheeks. Drake and Adam came back over to us, hugging us both.

"Congratulations to the both of you," Adam said, kissing Cassidy's cheek and then mine. Drake was just beaming. "Come on, let's celebrate." And so we did, all throughout the night and well into the early morning. Cassidy told me that this reception was almost exactly like the one Adam and Drake had and when the crowd finally dispersed, off to make love with their own partners or just to sleep, I pulled Cassidy into an area hidden behind massive shrubbery.

"I know you wanted to marry Brad in front of that fountain…" I muttered, laying in the grass and pulling Cassidy down over me. "But I hope this wedding made you just as happy as that one would have…"

"Happier," he muttered, stripping me slowly and pressing his lips to mine. "I've never been so happy, Hiei, not even with Brad. He didn't give me what you have and I love you so much…"

"I love you too, Cass…" I muttered, kissing him back with tears leaking down my cheeks.


	118. Chapter 118

**Chapter One: And Though I May Know, I Don't Care**

 **Adam's POV**

I never realized how quickly six years could go by.

It seemed like yesterday I had been watching from the distance in a hallway with my dearest and loved friend, Tommy, at my side as an old love and friend of mine was assaulted and nearly killed. Like only yesterday I nearly watched my husband, my eternal lover strike down the man who tried to tear everything away from me. And yet in all of this grief, it was like yesterday that I witnessed a marriage. A marriage that opened the doors to happier times and love.

And yet, at times, the past six years seemed to drag on as well. Meetings and councils with leaders and viziers of other countries and states for peace and benefits, this and that. Some wanted collaboration, others wanted altercation. Those meetings dragged on for forever, half the time. Often they caused arguments between myself and my own advisors, sometimes even with my husband. But never had they been enough to tear us apart.

Through it all though, if it was even possible, the love I shared with my husband, Drake, seemed to grow every single day. Every rise and set of the sun and moon brewed another strong, fresh wave of passion between us that brought us closer to one another. Every day I found something more within Drake that I fell in love with. Every night there was something about him that made my heart flutter so gentle and sweet, one could have thought I'd never been in love before.

And it was late in the morning when I'd woken up and found Drake snuggled up close to my chest, his face turned towards me with a hand spread flat and relaxed on my stomach. I smiled softly, tilting my head to press a soft kiss to his hair, tangle and messy from last night's love making. The blankets were drawn over us, hanging loosely around our hips. I trailed my fingers along Drake's shoulders and back before dropping my hand and sighing quietly.

It was hard to believe that so much time had passed between us. I could still vividly remember Drake being brought to the steps of my palace, sodden with dirt and younger than most other boys who had been brought before me to work. I remember I brushed away the dirt on his cheek with my fingers, desiring him as I had desired few before, before ushering him off with Tommy to get cleaned up and prepared. And just as vividly as the day he'd been brought to me, I could remember every event— good and bad— that had happened to or between us. We'd nearly lost each other so many times it was a miracle that we were still alive and together, truly.

But we were, and I couldn't thank the Gods more for it.

Slowly, I pulled myself away from the warmth and comforts of Drake's arms, moving gently so that I did not wake him. Drake didn't budge as I slipped from the bed, padding naked across the room and up to our vanity, where my robe was draped on the small chair. I snatched it up, tugging it on over my shoulders and tying it shut around my body before sitting down at my vanity, staring into my reflection.

The years had, amazingly enough, done little to my reflection. There were visible signs that I was not the young lad I used to be, however there were only the small and slightest of wrinkles around my mouth and eyes, and not the deep and great ones of stress and depression that I feared I would one day have. Drake's— well, mine too— mother, Roza, had said that I acquired them from smiling so much, thanks to her son. It was true. Drake made me happier than anyone else that I had ever known, apart from Tommy, Alex and Cassidy, of course.

I sat straight in the chair, grabbing a small brush and running it through my locks, tugging out the snarls and smoothing it out around my face. I ran my fingers through it a little, playing with the silky softness of it. I had a strange fondness for my hair, and for the way it felt and shined in the light. I was, really, by no means a vain person, but there were parts of me that I had a liking for. My eyes and my hair for instance. Drake, as he had often told me before, had a particular love for my arms and the way they fit around him to the freckles on my lips. I smiled softly to myself, reminiscing briefly on the number of times Drake had tried to count the spots on my mouth with his tongue.

Chuckling quietly, I pulling my hair back a little, leaning upon my elbow on the table as I stared at my reflection. The light was pooling into the room just right and a glint of something soft and bright caught my attention. I frowned a touch, running the pads of my fingers over my hair, smoothening it back against my scalp as I stared, my heart dropping a little in my chest.

"Oh. My. Ra…" I whispered, running my fingers through my hair again, gazing hard into mirror of the vanity. I couldn't believe my eyes. In all my years of ruling Egypt and dealing with hardships, nearly losing those closest to me including Drake, I had never seen this before. I tugged my fingers through again, staring hard at the roots and along my hairline, near my ears and at the top of my head.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!" I whined, folding my arms onto the table of the vanity, dropping my head on them. This couldn't have seriously been happening. This didn't happen to my father until he was well into his forties, almost fifties. Why was it happening to me now?! This was meant to happen to me when I'd really reached the height of my age, not now. Ra, not now…

There was a shuffle of feet behind me and I felt warm, smooth hands sliding over my shoulders and down along my arms before coming back up, digging through my hair. I moaned quietly, relishing in his lightly callused fingers dragging against my scalp, massaging gently with tender care. Drake's lips pressed a kiss to my shoulder, smooth and sweet. I smiled a little, turning my head to look up at him as he rubbed the back of my head, running his fingers through the locks of my hair.

"What's wrong, darling?" He asked, his voice quiet and calm to my ears and I sighed, letting my eyes slip shut again. A multitude of things were wrong. Russia had been attacked by Europe, North Korea and South Korea were at it again, there were still not enough jobs for all of my people here in Egypt, and the one thing that was most heavy on my mind?

"I'm getting old." I whined. There was a bit of silence for a moment before Drake chuckled quietly, kissing my shoulders again.

"Baby, you're not old." He told me gently, running both hands through my hair again, kissing the back of my neck. I moaned again, my eyes fluttering a little as he breathed against my skin. "Why would you think you're getting old?" He asked softly, rubbing my shoulders and my neck, massaging gently.

"I have _gray hair_ …" I murmured, thoroughly displeased with this fact. I hadn't noticed it before, but this morning when I had rolled out of bed, I found them tucked safely away along my hairline and in my roots, gleaming almost white in contrast to the faded-ink color of my hair. Drake cooed softly, trailing his fingers through my hair again.

"That doesn't mean you're old, baby," Drake commented gently, kissing the shell of my ear. "It just means that you have gray hair, and that's not a bad thing." I sighed softly, sitting up and looking at Drake through the mirror. He was dressed in nothing more than an embroidered silk robe, loosely tied shut around his waist and hanging off of his shoulders. His hair, still in its A-line cut but faded from the crimson is used to be to a more red-brown color, was pulled back into a messy and lopsided ponytail.

"Compared to you, my love, I am old. I'm _very_ old." I sighed softly and Drake slid his hands down over my shoulders and across my chest, folding his arms around me and resting his chin on my shoulder. He smiled warmly at me, giving me a gently squeeze. I chuckled softly, bringing a hand up to cover his.

"That's not true, Adam. You're still young and beautiful." He whispered, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Drake, I'm forty years old." I retaliated, and Drake shook his head, kissing my cheek again, closer to my mouth this time.

"You're not forty yet, my love. You're only thirty-nine, so don't say that." Drake had a valid point. I was only thirty-nine, but my fortieth birthday was just a week away. And the idea of turning forty scared me. Not for any particular reason, really, but it had been bad enough when I'd been in my early thirties and Drake was merely eighteen. The idea that I was getting older and older, and now I had gray hairs, and Drake was still young, beautiful and a man of twenty-seven.

"And you're not even thirty yet. I am old, Drake. I have gray hairs now, and how long will it be before I start getting wrinkles and back pains? How long will it be before I need you to help me out of bed in the morning?" I told him, leaning back into his arms. Drake sighed softly, rubbing my chest with his free hand, resting his head against mine.

"It won't be for a long time, my darling," Drake said, kissing my shoulder. "You promised me you would always be here for me, and I'm holding you to that." I chuckled softly, turning my head to face him.

"I know you are, baby. I intend to keep the promises that I make until the day I die…" I whispered and Drake frowned, touching my lips tenderly with the tips of his fingers. I puckered my lips, kissing his skin before he moved his hand, caressing my cheek.

"Baby, don't talk about that. You know I hate it when you do." He said softly and I sighed, leaning into his touch.

"I know that, my love, I know. But it's the truth. I'm not immortal, nor am I resistant to any diseases or potential wounds. I cannot escape the inevitable," I murmured, bringing my hand up to touch his face, cupping his cheek tenderly in my palm, "There will be a time where I will have to move on, Drake, into the Afterlife. You know this as well as I do." Drake frowned further, looking away and shaking his head again.

"Please, Adam, don't say that. You have years ahead of you, and—"

"And even with those years, Drake.. I'm still old. I'm going to get older, and older still. You cannot stop it." Drake sighed softly, looking back up at me with sad eyes. He did not like the idea of my death, and truth be told I was terrified of it myself, too. But it was an inevitable. "One day, I will die. And you will have to carry on with Egypt without me. You will be Pharaoh until you choose which of your brothers will succeed you. Alexander, Tommy, Cassidy, Hiei, and your family will care for you until you, too, pass on to join me in peace.."

Drake looked away again, sighing softly as I dropped my hand from his face. There was a moment of silence between us before he leaned forward, pressing a gently and warm kiss to my forehead, "If I cannot keep you from dying on me at some point in the distant future, I'll at least do you the kindness of getting rid of your grays, alright?" He said and I couldn't help but to smile as Drake reached into a small drawer in the vanity table, pulling out a small box of black hair dye.


	119. Chapter 119

**Chapter Two: I Wish You Never Told Me, I Wish I Never Knew  
Drake's POV**

Adam and I had skipped breakfast. We had spent most of the night making love and my neck was littered with red blotches from when Adam would bite into my neck or sucked on it while pounding into me. He fucked me three times and I fucked him once. Usually I was Adam's bitch. Even though Adam and I were married and I was, technically, a king, I was still his pleasure servant. He just happened to be in love with me and I loved pleasing him, but every once in a while, he gave into wanting to be someone's bitch and I got to have my way with him. I enjoyed it, but only once in a while because I loved giving myself to Adam.

Or playing hard to get.

When Adam finally did peel himself out of bed, I reached out and grabbed his hand, tugging him back with a pout planted firmly on my lips. "Come on, baby, just spend a day in bed with me…" I muttered. It was his fortieth birthday in a few days and normally I would have made him wait until his birthday to be his little whore, but we already had plans for his birthday. We would be visiting the great pyramids- alone- so Adam could take me to meet his family. He always swore that his mother and brother would have loved me but his father probably wouldn't have, just because his father didn't really seem to love anyone. I wished I could have met his family when they were actually alive.

I wouldn't tell Adam that the idea of wandering around in booby trap infested pyramids wasn't exactly my idea of a great birthday. To be honest, I was kind of afraid, but I wouldn't deny Adam of what he wanted. He loved his mother and his brother and I understood that. If it were my family in that tomb, I would want to take Adam as well.

Not to mention, I didn't want to deny Adam anything on his birthday. Naturally I just wanted to make my lover happy, but he was having a hard time dealing with the fact that he was turning forty. My twenty-seventh birthday was a few months ago and Adam was starting to think that he was just too old, but he wasn't old at all. He was just as beautiful as he was the day I met him in his throne room, just not as intimidating because now I knew he was an over-sized teddy bear. I wished he would relax about the few gray hairs he had because he still looked youthful and full of life, and just because I was thirteen years younger than him and "still in my prime" didn't mean that I loved him any less. He'd always been thirteen years older than me. He would always be thirteen years older than me and I would always love him, even when he _was_ old and wrinkled, which he was a far cry from.

Adam sat down on the edge of the bed and he bent down to kiss my swollen lips. We didn't spend the entire night fucking the "traditional" way. I could please my husband in other ways and, unfortunately, my swollen and slight bruised lips proved that. "You know I don't want to pass up an offer like that, my boy… But, unfortunately, I have to… We can't spend all day in bed because we have a very important meeting to get to," he said, cupping my cheek in one hand, the other petting my freshly dyed, bright red hair. After I dyed Adam's hair black to get rid of the grays, I decided to redo mine as well, to make it bright and vibrant again instead of a brownish-red, which I didn't really care for. I first dyed my hair to make myself different from Alex, but now I just dyed it because I liked the red a lot better. It suited me better than the chocolate, I thought.

"Is that today? Oh man… I don't want to sit through that after last night…" I whined, sounding very much like a little kid, but I didn't care. I didn't want to go deal with politics when all I could think about was having my brains fucked out by my husband.

"You think I do? All I'll be able to think about is your gorgeous ass sticking up in my face with you dripping with need, begging me to take you," he mumbled, pressing a heated kiss into my throat, a massive blush spreading across my face. It, sadly, was true. I had stuck my ass right up in the air for Adam, begging him to fuck me the night before. I don't really know what got into me I was just so horny… And I still kind of was. I could spend the rest of the day and well into the night making love with Adam.

"Can't we just… cancel it?" I whined. I knew I should be more enthusiastic about ruling a nation; well, helping to rule a nation anyway. To be completely honest, I found politics and these meetings we spent so much time in very boring and dull. I tried to pay attention, I truly did, but I usually only succeeded for ten or twenty minutes before I started doodling on my notepad. More often than not, I started drawing Adam. I knew I should have been more worried about the important topics discussed in said meetings, but Adam was the most important thing in my life, so was it really that hard to believe that I was so distracted by him?

Adam laughed softly, shaking his head some. "Babe, you know it doesn't work like that, but if we can get this resolved quickly… we can come right back here, so come on, get up and get dressed cause I want to haul your beautiful ass right back here to make more love to you once we're done," he muttered, kissing me again and I moaned. "Maybe fuck your mouth some more swell your beautiful lips up even more…" When he pulled back, I was blushing wildly and he was smirking like a bitch with a devious plan formulating in the back of his mind.

"Mmhm… Well, why can't you mold your beautiful lips around me? Maybe they need a little swelling instead," I mumbled, kissing him gently before pushing out of the massive bed and groaning. My abdomen and my ass ached, as well as my jaw, but I couldn't complain much. Last night was totally and completely worth it.

"Well, I suppose I could do that for you, just because I love you so much and you taste so damned delicious," he muttered, following my lead and going to his own wardrobe. Adam dressed in a pair of long pants and a golden jacket with no shirt. If he could still pull that off and look fantastic, then I don't know why he was feeling so old. I dressed similarly, with a pair of white shorts that went to my mid thighs, a airy, white shirt that stopped above my belly button, exposing a beautiful ruby piercing that Tommy had talked me into doing a few weeks ago and a golden jacket with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. We didn't do anything fancy for makeup, just some eye liner, but I covered up the hickeys as best I could before I took my husband's hand in mine.

"Let's get this over with… I want to come back in here and have you fuck me hard, again," I mused, pulling him out of the bedroom and towards the meeting/counsel room. It was just a big as our dining hall but it didn't have nearly the memories the dining hall had. Meetings were boring and good for nothing more than day dreaming and fantasizing.

Servants and workers were rushing through all of the halls, attending to their duties and chores, just like any other day. Every person we passed would bow their heads and smile. Some of the younger, newer servants looked a little scared when they saw us. Adam and I were hardly terrifying, but I could understand their logic. When I was first brought here, I was scared to the bone of Adam and his advisers (though I had been right to fear Bradley), even when there wasn't much to fear. Adam and Cassidy were warm and loving. They were nothing but kind and caring and not just to me but also to everyone who worked in the palace and the entire country of Egypt. Adam was no different now and with the exception of the case with Elijah, I was definitely not terrifying. I was five foot eight and skinny as a rod. Not too much to fear, though I was stronger than I looked.

The counsel room was on the opposite side of the palace, so it took Adam and I a decent chunk of time to reach it, but we were use to the hike of the palace. It really didn't bother either of us and if we weren't heading to what I was sure to be a completely boring meeting, I would have found the walk completely enjoyable.

"It's about time you two joined us," Alex said, his hands on his hips much like an angry diva. I just rolled my eyes and took my seat, pulling my notepad from the table and propping it up on one knee.

"Sorry, we were caught up in something much more enjoyable than this," I said bluntly. It wasn't a secret that I didn't like sitting through boring council meetings, with or without counsel from other countries. Usually if it was more than just Adam, Cassidy, Alex and myself, it was even more boring than usual. I wished I really didn't have to even sit through them. I never talked or offered my advice. I was an artist; I didn't care at all for politics. Even though I didn't contribute much, it was my duty as a king to sit through all of these painfully slow meetings.

I hated it.

"Well excuse us for interrupting your fucking session," Alex muttered. Apparently, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. "But you have sex every night, so you can spare Cassidy and I a few hours." I just rolled my eyes again, flipping to a clean page in my pad.

"Calm down, Alex, what's wrong with you? We don't have sex every night and you don't have to sound so offended that we have a sex life," I mumbled in a light, uncaring and un-offended tone.

Alex sighed, taking a seat adjacent to me. Adam sat next to me and Cassidy sat across from Alex. We only took up about a sixth of the table, because it was made for much larger gatherings, but we were all just used to it by now. "I'm sorry… Tommy wasn't feeling too well last night, so I was up all night taking care of him and I didn't get any sleep…" Alex apologized, looking genuinely sorry.

"Is he all right?" I asked, instantly worried. Ever since Tommy came down with a case of fever, I was worried every time he got a stomachache.

"Yeah, I think he had some bad shell fish, or something. It was just a stomachache and when he finally threw up, he seemed to be fine. He's asleep now… I'm just a little crabby…" he admitted, sighing and leaning back in his chair. He looked exhausted and in need of a nice, long nap.

"If you'd rather do this meeting later, so you can get some rest, we could definitely put it off until-" I started but Adam tsk'ed at me and shook his head.

"Baby, no. We need to get this done and out of the way. Once we're finished, Alex can crash," Adam muttered, an arm looping around me. I sighed, surrendering and pouting heavily about it. Alex didn't tease me like he normally would have, but Cassidy smirked at me, seeming to bite his tongue to keep his snide comments to himself. Good thing too, cause I was already not happy to be there. It almost felt strange to have my legs pressed together because they'd been spread all night.

True enough, the meeting was just as boring as I thought it would be. After the first five minutes, I tuned out and I was doodling Adam and myself caught in a very passionate moment. My eye for detail was almost terrifying because it really looked like we were making love on the paper, but I had a one track mind and at the moment, I was thinking about being intimate with my husband. I don't really think I could be blamed for it.

Adam kept glancing at my drawing and every time he did, he would rub my thigh gently, warming the skin under his touch. I'd have to bite my lip to keep from moaning, but I somehow managed it. Fuck, when did I turn into such a needy bitch? I used to be so innocent in the ways of sex… Now I needed it from my husband, or I really couldn't function right. Holding out on him when I was angry or trying to make him wait for something special, like his birthday, was as bad for me as it was for him.

It wasn't until Cassidy said "We've got to keep an eye on Persia. Their king has been getting more and more aggressive and if we don't keep him in check, well, I think we might have a bit of a problem on our hands," that I stopped adding the fine details to my notepad and looked up, which seemed to shock everyone. Good Ra, did I really zone out so much that people noticed things like me actually paying attention?

Well, I suppose I'm not a very good king then. It was probably a really good thing that Adam was the Pharaoh and not me. I would be such a failure as the Pharaoh of Egypt. I really don't think I'd ever be able to do it, even though Adam wanted me to if- Ra forbid- something horrible happened to him, like when he was poisoned.

"Adam? You didn't tell me that Persia was any sort of threat to us… Don't you think that's something you should tell me? I mean… if I should be worried about a conflict with Persia, I think I should, at least, know about it…"

Adam frowned and looked from Cassidy to me. "Baby, Persia isn't much of a threat. Yes, their ruler is getting a little out of hand, but he's not strong enough to confront us or start a war with us. It's really not even worth worry about, so don't worry, okay, honey?" he said, cupping my face in one hand. I truly didn't believe him, but I didn't want to argue with him in front of everyone, so I just sighed and nodded some, dropping my eyes back to my drawing. I just… wasn't in the mood to finish it anymore, so I set my pen down on the table and flipped the pad closed, setting it down as well. I didn't like to think that I was out of the loop and that something bad was happening between Persia and Egypt, perhaps even worse than just "bad". Maybe I should be paying more attention in these meetings… They were just _so_ boring! Could I be blamed for not wanting to pay attention?

Okay, yeah, yeah I probably could…

The meeting concluded shortly after that. Alex went off to his and Tommy's room so he could get some much needed rest. Cassidy went to meet up with Hiei, I was sure, and Adam and I joined hands and started back towards our bedroom.

"You really should have told me there was something wrong, Adam," I said, frowning a little. I still wanted to spend the rest of my day in bed with my lover, but now I was just a little less aroused. If I needed to fear for my safety, the safety of my husband, my friend and my country, it was hard to completely forget about it for the sake of having sex, although if Adam touched me enough, I'm sure I could forget about it for a little while.

Adam sighed, pulling me through the halls. I was walking just a little slower than usual. Usually I could just keep up with Adam. Now I wasn't and I didn't really care. "Baby, I'm telling you, there's nothing to be worried about. Yes, they are acting a little… out of line, but they are a weak country. We have nothing to fear. We'll take care of it easy enough, okay?" he said to me, pulling me through the last few halls and into our bedroom. "Truly, there's nothing to worry about and, if there was, you would be the first person I would tell." Adam started pawing at my clothes, peeling them away from my body and pushing me down onto our bed.

"Now, do you want to keep talking politics or do you want to dive back into the naughty with me?" he purred, pressing himself to again me, his hips sliding between my legs, which I gladly parted for him. "There's nothing to worry about and, as promised, now that we've gotten that meeting out of the way, I'm all yours…" he muttered, kicking his pants off. "Now please let me take care of you…"

And Ra, did he… I completely forgot about Prussia, Persia… Whatever it was. It just didn't matter. All that did matter was Adam and we skipped dinner that night too. Just like I wanted, we spent the rest of the day and all of the night making love. It was almost like Adam wanted to prove he wasn't old, but then I already knew that, not that I was complaining too much about how he wanted to prove himself…


	120. Chapter 120

**Chapter Three: Like I'm The Only One That You'll Ever Love**

 **Tommy's POV**

"How are you feeling, Tommy?" Drake asked me after coming into my room. I'd been dealing with a bit of a stomachache for the past couple of days and while it was nothing to be terribly concerned about, I knew Drake didn't see it that way. Ever since I'd had that fever those several years ago, I'd been susceptible to illness a lot more than I had been in the past. But, fortunately, this wasn't one of those occasions.

"I'm doing fine, Drake," I told him, smiling softly as he sat down on the edge of my bed. There was a look of relief that seemed to cross his expression and he sighed softly, smiling down at me. My head and shoulders were propped up on several pillows so that I was laying at an angle. A large, ruby-red blanket was tossed over me, tucked around my hips. "Right now, I'm coming off of the side effects of the medicine more than anything. The ache is, more or less, gone."

Drake bit his lip, reaching forward to press his palm to my forehead, the small gold bangles on his wrists jingling some. I sighed softly, letting him estimate my temperature before he pulled away. There was a soft curl to his lips and his eyebrows were drawn together a little bit. He was always so worried that I was going to come down with another fever that, any time I got sick, he would baby me and keep me confined to my bed until he was sure that I was well enough to walk around again.

"You're warm—" he began, looking concerned, but I waved him off with my hand a sigh, letting my eyes close for a moment.

"It's the heat and the fact that you insist I be trapped under this blanket," I explained before he could finish, and Drake sighed softly as I looked back over at him. The expression hadn't changed on his face and I knew it was going to take a lot more to convince him than a few exhausted words and an equally tired smile.

"I'm just worried, Tommy. I don't want to risk you getting another fever," his voice was soft, boyish, and not that of a man of twenty-seven years of age. I nodded once, smiling a little as he reached over and took my hand in his, holding it gently. It was no surprise that Drake wanted to avoid me falling ill. When he'd first been brought to this palace so long ago, I'd been one of his first friends. I helped him adjust to his life and to the ways of passion. I was his solace and comfort through the hardest times and when I'd fallen ill the first time so soon after his wedding, he nearly fell apart.

It was unbelievable how long ago all of that really was.

"Drake, I haven't gotten a fever in over six years. I highly doubt that a little stomachache is going to suddenly put me into a coma," I chuckled lightly, but Drake just frowned even more, going from concerned to a little angry, if I wasn't mistaken.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Tommy. You treat your condition like it's nothing when it could become serious. I don't want to chance losing you. I nearly lost you once before; don't do it to me again," he snapped and I sighed softly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Drake, if I fall ill again, I promise you the first place in line to maim me later, okay? But I'm fine, now. I'm getting better. Right now it's just the side effects of the medicines Alex has had to give me. Give or take the next day or so, I'll be back on my feet and doing well, alright?" I said and he let out a heavy breath, nodding once. I smiled again, reaching up to push his deep red locks back behind his ear, caressing his cheek.

"I won't go anywhere. I promise." Drake smiled a little, nuzzling my palm.

"You said that before and then fell into a coma," Drake murmured and I rolled my eyes a little.

"I won't this time, I swear on my life," I told him and Drake's eyes narrowed.

"Tommy," he warned and I smiled.

"You worry too much," I mumbled gently and Drake's scowl was replaced by a tender smile that kicked at my heart. He leaned down, his hair tickling my face as he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. A moan sounded from my throat and purred in his as well before he pulled away.

"I do. But I have to these days. Adam's always complaining that he's getting old and weak and you're always getting sick. It's really only a matter of time before Cassidy and Alex start having issues and then I might as well be worrying about our entire family," Drake mumbled against my mouth and I chuckled.

"You have your own problems to deal with, My King," I whispered and Drake groaned quietly.

"I told you not to call me that," he hissed and I kissed him again.

"But it's, in all manner of speaking, my duty. You are the Pharaoh's Husband, therefore making you powerful royalty. I am merely the lover of an advisor and a pleasure servant to the Pharaohs of Egypt. It would be rather dishonorable and out-of-line for me to call you otherwise," I informed and Drake pulled back a little to look at me again.

"You always call me Drake, though. Even in the presence of others, such as Adam and my family; even near my brothers, who are all potentials for the throne when Adam and I are ill fit. In all manner of speaking, Thomas, you have dishonored yourself so many times in the last six years…" Drake smirked and I sighed.

"Well, cast me to the Underworld, then, when I am gone, for I have shamed you, My King." I told him but Drake just shook his head, kissing me again.

"Never. I am too fond of you, and thus will be requiring you for the Afterlife as well." I chuckled softly, kissing him back chastely before soft rap of knuckles sounded at the door and we pulled away to see Alex standing there, smiling a little at us. He was dressed in a pair of loose-fitting white trousers with ruby hems and a matching white shirt with sleeves that ended at his elbows. Leather and gold sandals were strapped to his feet and ankles, gold cuffs clasped around his wrists, and his eyes were lined with kohl. This was his more advisor-ly outfit, and I could only assume he'd just finished some sort of meeting with Cassidy.

"Mind if I intrude?" He asked and I shook my head as Drake sat up a little.

"Not at all. I was actually just about to leave," Drake said, slipping from the bed. I pouted a little as he stepped away, but it was quickly replaced with a smile when I looked at Alex. The brunette was smiling tenderly at the both of us. "Get some rest, Tommy, and I will see you later," Drake told me and I nodded once, watching him go as Alex took Drake's place beside me.

Alex pressed his palm to my forehead and then my cheek before smiling at me a little, "Feeling better now that Our Pharaoh's Husband has graced you with his presence?" Alex teased and I rolled my eyes, leaning into his touch.

"Indeed. But I am equally comforted with yours, if not more so, my love," I murmured gently, watching the soft and sweet flicker of love flash through Alex's ocean eyes before he kissed me softly.

"Oh, Thomas… I highly doubt that I could compare to the affections of Pharaoh's Husband," Alex murmured gently, cuddling up beside me and resting his head against my chest. I smiled a little, tucking my arm around him and holding him close and running my fingers through his chocolaty locks.

"I don't know about that, Alex.. Drake is an amazingly wonderful friend and beautiful lover when he asks it of me, but I am nothing more than a servant. For you, our pleasure is not a servant's duty to his master or anything like that. It's a lover's desire, spawned from a passion that has been brewing for years.." Alex smiled warmly, turning his head to look up at me.

"Spoken like a poet. You've still got your eloquence even when you're sick. It's adorable," I chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to Alex's hair. He hadn't changed it much over the years, maybe with the occasional trim here and there. He kept it relatively long, around his shoulders, if not a little shorter. More often than not he would pull it back into a pony tail, but on days like this where he had more business-like affairs to deal with, he kept it down.

"I'm glad I please you," I told him gently, my voice just barely over a faint whisper. Alex smiled, looking up at me with piercing blue eyes. Even after these years, he still looked a lot like Drake used to. Pale for an Egyptian with rich brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. But he was older, closer to Adam's age. While Adam was due for his fortieth birthday in a matter of days, Alex's fortieth was at least another month away.

"You do more than that, my love," he said, shifting in my arms before hovering over me a little, smiling warm and sweet, "You do so much more…" His lips ghosted over mine and I moaned quietly, bringing a hand up and curling it around the back of his neck, bringing him close for a tender kiss.

"Is that so?" I inquired and Alex chuckled quietly, nodding once as he kissed me again. His lips were soft and warm against mine, the kiss sending shivers down my spine as he reached up and cupped my cheek in his hand. His tongue slid along my bottom lip, making me moan before it passed into my mouth. He tasted sweet and tart all the same, reminding me vividly of sugar coated strawberries.

Alex's hand slid past my cheek and up into my hair, which I had recently re-dyed back to a bright and platinum-like blond. He pulled gently and I groaned, sucking hard on his tongue. Alex gasped into my lips before pulling away, earning a whine to emit from within my throat. He smirked at me, bringing his other hand up to caress my cheek.

"You're so cute when you're needy. Have I ever told you that?" He questioned, kissing me lightly again. I moaned softly, feeling my face heat up a little bit.

"I'm sure you've mentioned it once or twice.." I told him, gasping as he pressed a kiss to the side of my neck. If it wasn't for the fact that I was still bed-ridden with the occasional waves of nausea from the medicine, I would have begged him to take me. Or I would have taken him, myself. But when he pressed another kiss to my jaw and the world began to spin, Alex pulled away.

"You're shaking, Tommy," he said and I groaned. "You shouldn't push it." He warned and I huffed quietly.

"I'm getting better!" I said in protest, but he raised a hand and pressed the tips of his fingers to my lips, silencing me almost immediately.

"You are. But I want to make sure you're one-hundred percent better before you do anything, and this includes love making," I whined again behind his hand and Alex just smiled, "I'm serious, Tommy. I don't want you to overexert yourself, especially since you've been in bed for the better part of almost a week." I rolled my eyes and Alex pressed his forehead against mine, holding my face in his hands.

"Please, Tommy? Just a few more days," he said, kissing me soft and sweet, "And then I'll stay in here," another kiss, this time pressed to my throat, "with you," another, "all day." I moaned, feeling a blush creeping along my skin. "I promise." I bit my lip and smirked.

"And I can do whatever I want to you?" I questioned and Alex's eyes grew dark with what I knew to be lust.

"Anything you want." I smirked, kissing him hard.


	121. Chapter 121

**Chapter Four: I Don't Know Who You Think You Are but Before the Night is Through…  
Drake's POV**

Pressing another kiss to his groin, I heard him moan again and again, a little louder than before. Breakfast would be starting soon and we couldn't be late for it, since it was Adam's birthday breakfast, but it wouldn't take me half the time we had to get Adam to come.

"Baby… Drake, Ra…" he moaned, twisting and fidgeting under my touch. He was hard and he was aching but he wasn't getting the attention he wanted from me. I was only ghosting kisses, soft licks and maybe a nip here or there but I knew Adam wanted to force his dick up into my mouth. He whimpered softly, pushing his hips up to meet my lips and I just smirked, pressing a kiss to the head. "Fucking Hell, Drake, please… Please baby…"

"Not too often that you're the one begging me," I mused; gripping his hips and pushing them back down onto the mattress. "Doesn't feel too good, does it? Not getting your release even though you desperately crave it, need it even…" I smiled up at him, as innocent as I could manage, like the first day he brought me to his bed and he blinked a few times, his eyes blown black with lust and need.

"You would be the only boy in the world to make sex look innocent…" he whispered, forcing his hips up again. "Please, My Boy, you've been teasing me for over an hour… I need you…" he whined quietly, propping himself up onto his elbows. "Please…"

Smiling some more, I rested my head on his left thigh. "I think I like it when you beg, My Pharaoh… It seems right on you," I purred softly, my tongue darting out to tease the tip of his erection. A low, throaty moan fell off of his tongue and he bucked his hips forward but I didn't take him, much to his displeasure. "And being so forceful is not going to make me bend to your every whim, My Pharaoh…" I added, looking up at him with innocent, boyish eyes. "I'm not so afraid of you anymore."

"Perhaps you should be, My Boy," he muttered, sitting up fully and tangling a hand into my recently re-dyed crimson locks. He pulled tight, for just a moment, pulling a soft gasp from my lips. I used to hate having my hair pulled, mostly because of Bradley, but that had been almost ten years ago. Adam and Tommy both conditioned me to loving the feel of having my hair yanked in the middle of intimacy and I felt a rush of excitement shoot down to my erection, which, until this point, had been there but hadn't been aching. Now it was throbbing and growing rather annoying.

"Well, My Pharaoh, I am not afraid of you, even if you grab me by the hair and have your way with me," I told him, baring my teeth at him and he just smirked down at me, leaning down to kiss me hard. "Now then, maybe you should use these beautiful lips for something a little more pleasurable, hmm?" he whispered, bringing his other hand up to trace his thumb across my lips. "I want them to be swollen and beautiful for everyone at breakfast, so get to it." He gripped my hair tightly again, directing my face back to his groin.

~

"Way to go, Adam, got so horny that we're twenty minutes late for your own damned breakfast," I growled, pulling a golden robe over my shoulders. "You keep bitching about your age and getting old, but your stamina only seems to be improving. Now let's go. Nobody is going to be happy that you're so late."

Adam pulled a similar golden robe over his shoulders and he turned to me, smiling. We were dressed mostly the same, matching earrings that were an anniversary gift, one in my right ear and one in his left. We both wore shear shirts, his covering his entire torso and mine ending right above my naval, showing of a bright ruby piercing. Thankfully it didn't hurt anymore, but I wanted to kill Tommy when he talked me into it, it hurt so badly. Adam wore white pants hemmed in gold and I worse short instead. Pants were not my favorite thing, that was for sure.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so god damned beautiful, I wouldn't be so distracted," he muttered, pressing a warm kiss to my still-swollen lips. I only rolled my eyes, taking Adam's hand and tugging him out of our bedroom and down towards the dining hall which, of course, was on the far end of the opposite side of the palace.

It was about a ten, fifteen-minute walk, but we ran it. Adam had a hard time keeping up, but it wasn't because he was old, it was just because I was small and good at running. "Well, it's about fucking time you both showed up," Alex and Tommy both shouted at the same time and I sighed, walking over to my chair and sitting down.

"It's Adam's fault," I muttered, pulling my goblet of wine towards me. "And you can't be that angry. He is the birthday boy, after all…"

Cassidy smirked some. "Yes, the big four-zero today, huh Adam? How does it feel?" he asked, watching Adam sit down. Adam, at first, looked miserable and upset but then he smirked back at Cass and I prayed he wasn't going to say something like 'well considering I just fucked a beautiful boy's mouth twice and his ass once, I'd say pretty fucking good'. He wouldn't say something like that with my mother and siblings sitting at the table, I hoped.

"I dunno, Cass, why don't you tell me in ten days when you'll be joining me and then Alex about a month after that… You'll figure it out," Adam muttered, winking at Cass who- along with Alex- had gone crimson.

"All right, boys, stop teasing each other and wish Adam a happy birthday," Tommy said, rolling his eyes. At least one person understands my position, unlike everyone else. Adam was already insecure enough about getting older. People didn't need to make it worse by teasing him. "Happy birthday, Adam. Don't listen to them; you're still young and beautiful. I imagine that's why you and Drake were locked up in your bedroom for so long…" I blushed a little but Adam just smirked some, kissing my forehead again.

"Thank you, Thomas, that's enough," Adam said and everyone muttered their "happy birthday" wishes to him. He got a few gifts from around the table, beautiful necklaces and jewels and even a book or journal or something from my mother, probably with some cutesy note in it.

Breakfast was enjoyable and fun, other than everyone who was teasing Adam about being old. I wanted to punch someone because if Adam had another one of his breakdowns, I wasn't going to be happy.

"Well we better be off if we want to get back at a decent hour tonight, darling," Adam said, putting a warm and inviting hand on my thigh and unlike an hour ago, when Adam had me pinned to our bed, fucking me so hard and deep, I thought he was going to come out my mouth, he was only warm and comforting, like we were just cuddling.

"All right, baby," I muttered, leaning into his hold. "But I get to drive." Adam chuckled softly and stood up, pulling me to my feet by my hands.

"All right, whatever you'd like, darling," he whispered softly. "We'll be out till dark, but we'll be back at a decent hour," he told everyone else and we left the dining hall, waving at them all as we left. We took the massive staircase in front of the throne room down to the city where there was a motorcycle waiting for us. Adam's guards insisted they come with us, but Adam repeated said no, with an argument of what danger would we find in a pyramid? He claimed he knew all the traps just fine and that he was more than capable of taking care of himself and his husband.

As promised, I got to drive and Adam sat behind me, his arms secured tightly around my waist and his head resting between my shoulder blades. If I wasn't mistaken, he was scared, but I was actually very skilled with driving motorcycles. It was a recent hobby I took up when I actually had the time. It didn't take long to learn, really and we were at the Great Pyramids in under an hour. The palace wasn't that far, but it would have taken anyone else at least double my time.

Adam climbed off the bike once I turned off the ignition and kicked the kickstand down. "My gods, Drake," he muttered, reaching to unclasp the strap under my chin to pull my helmet off. He set it down and tucked a finger under my chin, lifting my head up a little. "Just when I thought you couldn't get anymore sexy, you prove me wrong," he whispered and he bent over, pressing a heated kiss to my lips. "Let's go inside before you get too burnt…" he whispered against my lips and I rolled my eyes.

"Just because I'm paler than you doesn't mean that I'm going to burn," I groaned, getting off the motorcycle and taking his hand. He pulled me towards the entrance to the largest pyramid and I really just hoped this visit wouldn't be too long. The idea still gave me the chills, but I wasn't going to deny Adam a visit to his family. He had to put up with my family every single day, but I never really got to spend time with his family, seeing as they were all deceased before I came along.

Adam guided me through the door and down a large hall that was probably the main corridor. "Are these pyramids really… filled with booby traps and things like that?" I asked, holding tight to his hand and staying as close as I could without the both of us tripping. Adam took one of the torches off the wall to lead us with and we slowly walked down the brick stone hall, hieroglyphics covered the walls, mostly telling stories of our great pharaoh's and their accomplishments. Some showed gruesome and startling deaths. Homicides and murders painted for some of our kings and a sickening feeling rose up into my stomach.

If something like that ever happened to Adam… I didn't think I would be able to handle it.

"Yes, to protect the tombs from grave robbers, but don't worry much, baby," he told me, kissing my forehead. "I know my way around all of the traps. All royals do, because this is their family…" He let go of my hand for a moment and took a few steps forward and on the fourth step, gallons of water shot out of the floor like a backwards waterfall, soaking him to the bone.

"You know all the traps, huh?" I asked, taking a few steps back. "I'm not going in there. Fuck no." Adam sighed, ringing his jacket out some.

"Baby, I promise, you'll be fine. Please come on," he said, holding a hand out to me. "I want you to meet my family, please?" His eyes were wide, sparkling and hopeful and I sighed deeply, reaching out to take his hand. I couldn't say no when he was looking at me like that.

"If you get me killed, Adam, I swear on the Gods I will kick your ass in the Afterlife," I promised and he laughed, smiling at me and dropping the torch that had been put out by the gush of water. He took another one off the wall and started to pull me through the corridor again.

"It's a deal, Boo," he whispered and he lead me through winding halls, pointing things of interest out and telling me to be careful while walking around some of the booby traps that we were walking over or around. There were massive mounds of gold and treasures in some halls and giant statues of Egypt Gods in others, the most popular on being Anubis. All of the Anubis statues were holding large plates in their outstretched arms, fire blazing within the plate.

The thing I noticed most was that the inside of the pyramid looked very well kept. It wasn't spotless, but it wasn't filthy either, like someone came in specifically to keep it clean. "Are there tomb keepers as well, Adam?" I asked, sweeping my hand along a beautiful story of a Pharaoh who fell in love with his servant. It made me smile simply because it reminded me so much of Adam.

"Yes, there are. Some of the tunnels we've passed lead to the tomb keeper's homes. They are sealed off when not being used so others can't raid their homes and get into the pyramids. They don't live underground though. They have very normal lives and they only come into the pyramids once or twice a month to clean up, make sure the traps are working and to make sure that no one has been in here that isn't supposed to be," he explained and pointed to a narrow passageway across the hall from us. "I believe that is a tomb keeper passage way, right there."

"Interesting…" I muttered and he smiled, turning another corner. We walked for a few more minutes and then we walked through an arch that lead into a massive chamber. Across the room, I could see a sarcophagus standing straight up against the wall but it was rather on the small side. Jewels, gold, pots and coins littered the floor everyone and the walls were covered in paintings of a boy with what looked to be his older brother or friend and then coming down with fever and eventually dying.

"This is Neil's tomb, isn't it?" I asked quietly and Adam nodded some, taking me towards the sarcophagus.

"He was so much like Hayden… You would have loved him and he you," Adam said softly and he rested one hand on the tomb, tears welling in his eyes. "Hey baby brother…" he whispered and I smiled softly, watching him talk to the coffin like his brother was still alive. It would have been like me with Anna…

After a few minutes, Adam took my hand in his again. "Come on, I want you to meet my mother," he whispered, pressing a kiss to my temple. I cupped his cheek with my free hand, brushing his tears away, kissing his lips gently.

"Baby, it's all right… It's okay," I whispered; kissing him again and again, just gentle sweeps and teases of lips against lips. "Let's go meet your mother, okay? I want to know her," I added and he smiled at me, cupping my cheek like I was cupping his.

"All right, honey," he said softly and he pulled me towards another arch in the room. It opened to an even bigger room filled with more jewels and treasures than Neil's chamber had been filled with. Adam had a content smile on his face, tears still brimming in his eyes. "This is my mother…" he whispered after several long moments of us standing in front of the sarcophagus that held Adam's mom.

I held his hand tightly, squeezing it to reassure him that everything was going to be all right, even when more tears started to roll down his cheeks. "She would have loved you, Drake… I only wish she got to meet you before she passed away," he said to me. I leaned against him even though his clothes were still slightly damp.

"What was she like?" I asked him softly. "Your mother?"

"Well…" Adam started, a soft smile touching his lips. "She was actually a lot like your mother, Drake. Sweet, beautiful and big hearted. She always put her family and her friends in front of herself and she was always worrying even when she didn't need to. Rosa reminds me so much of my own mother, they could be sisters, or the same person, really. I think that's why I've grown so attached to her…"

I smiled softly, reaching out to touch the coffin. "She sounds so wonderful…" I whispered softly and Adam nodded, hugging me with one arm and putting a hand over mine with the other on his mother's grave. We stood there in a warm silence for a long while but eventually I pulled away from him. "I'll give you and your mother some time alone, all right? Just call when you're ready for me."

He smiled and nodded softly, wiping away some tears. "I love you, Drake," he said softly, kissing my lips gently. I couldn't help the little moan that came out of my throat.

"I love you too, Adam," I whispered and smiled up at him before walking off to look around the chamber so Adam could be with his mother for a while. I heard him muttering to her like she was still there and it made my heart ache a little, both for Adam and for Anna.

I walked to the far end of the tomb, examining little things here and there until I stepped on a tile that seemed to crack under my weight and then fall underneath me. I lost my balance, tripping through a small archway in front of me and by the time I was pushing myself back up, the arch was closing and the room was being encased in darkness.

"Adam… Adam!" I shouted, launching myself forward but I couldn't get to the archway in time before the entire thing was closed, leaving me in pitch-blackness. "Adam!" I shouted again, pounding on the wall but it wouldn't budge. All I could actually hear from the other side was a struggled and worried _"Drake?!"_


	122. Chapter 122

**Chapter Five: I Won't Be Here Tomorrow  
Adam's POV**

Drake pulled away from me to give me some time to my mother, and I smiled softly as I turned back. The gold and jewel tones of her holding place shimmered in the soft, warm light. I reached out slowly, pressing my palm to the smooth, cool surface. Tears stung my eyes as my smile lingered for a moment longer as I whispered to the coffin, "Hey, Momma…"

My heart cracked a little in my chest. It had been so many years since she passed. She died when I was twenty five, and now that I was forty… It seemed strange. I never thought my mother would have died when I was so young. She hadn't been much older than me. Her and my father both were in their late teen years when they'd married and conceived me. Loved so young, died just so…

"It's strange, Momma… Having you gone… Roza— Drake's mother— is just like you. She's beautiful and wonderful and every time I see her I think of you. She loves me just like you did. It's almost like you never left… Sometimes I have to wonder if maybe you had a twin sister than no one knew of. But you, Momma, were rich like Father. Roza's a hard-worked woman of a small village… But she's just like you," I said gently, giggling a little.

"You would have liked Drake, my husband… He reminded me so much of Alexander when he was first brought to me. I cherished him like Alex… But I grew to love him just the way he should be… He's.. He's my everything, Momma. He's my heart and my soul and everything I need and want in a lover…" I closed my eyes to hold back the tears, but I couldn't help it. A few trickled down my face and I shivered a little.

"I miss you, Momma… I miss you so much every day. Trying to rule this country with you and Father and Neil is just… It's so much harder than I thought it would have been. Half the time I don't even know if I'm making the right choices or if I'm doing the best things for my people, but everyone tells me I'm wonderful. Everyone praises me for being a loving and caring Pharaoh and taking care of my people.

"Am I a good Pharaoh, Momma? You're up there in the Afterlife and looking down at me. Am I doing the right thing? Sometimes I feel like I'm not and I just… I need to know, Momma… Am I doing alright or is there something wrong?" No sooner had I spoken that I heard it.

The soft crack of stone breaking under pressure and weight caught my attention, but the startled shout and the grind of stone was what made me turn away from my mother's sarcophagus. My hair flung around my face and I watched, the seconds dragging on for forever, as Drake tumbled through a secret archway that had slid open in the wall, swallowing him into the darkness. I moved a step, reaching out towards the arch, but it began to close. Before I could even take another step, it had sealed shut.

"Adam!Adam!" I heard Drake's voice, soft and distant behind the wall. I was frozen to my spot, my heart skipping beats as I stared mindlessly at the wall. The solid wall. There didn't seem to be any cracks or crevices that indicated it was a secret door. There was nothing but wall and murals and hieroglyphics and Drake's dull pounding from the other side. " _Adam!_ "

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even really think as I faltered forward a step before charging across the room. I slammed against the wall, feeling for where I had seen the cracks before they disappeared. I glanced down at the floor, looking for the tile that activated the door. There was a crushed square about one foot wide. The tile was shattered and sunk into the floor. The mechanism must have been so old that it couldn't handle even Drake's slight weight and shattered.

I stepped onto the shards, hoping to reactivate the door, but nothing happened. Whimpering, I stomped on it before looking up to the wall again, pressing my hands into the stone, trying to move it. " _Drake?!_ " I howled as loud as I could, hoping that he would be able to hear me. If I could hear him, surely… Surely, he would be able to hear me talking back to him.

"Adam! Help!" Drake shouted back to me. A soft whimper fell from my lips again and I pressed my shoulder to the wall, trying to get it to move. I pulled back and slammed into it, gritting my teeth as my shoulder collided with stone. I must have repeated this ten or more times, but the wall was solid. My shoulder was aching and it was surely bruised, but I couldn't care. Drake was trapped behind a secret door that wouldn't open, and I wasn't sure what kinds of traps were on the other side.

"Drake? Drake, can you hear me alright?!" I called to him, leaning close to the wall. My nerves were shot and my mind was racing. I felt like I was on fire with worry and fear.

"Yeah! Barely!" Oh, Gods… Drake's voice was so muted from the stone. It was truly a wonder that I could hear him at all through it.

"Can you see anything, Drake?" My heart was skipping several beats. Is this how my father felt when he suffered a heart attack? This skipped beats and this fear and worry? I clutched my shirt, right over my heart, trying to breathe normally.

"No! It's so dark in here I can't see my own hands in front of my face!" Resting my forehead against the wall, I tried to think. He couldn't see anything. He could barely hear me. Part of me wanted to tell him to feel around and see if he couldn't find another door, but I couldn't risk him coming across a trap and getting hurt… Or possibly… Biting my lip, I forced the thought away. I wouldn't think like that. I couldn't.

"Alright… I'm gonna see if I can't find a way to get you out! Just.. don't move! I don't know what traps are in there, if any at all!" My throat was beginning to hurt from how much shouting I was doing, but I needed to make sure that Drake could hear me as best as possible.

"Okay! Please, hurry, Adam!" Drake begged. I shivered a little, willing the door to shift and open, but no matter how long I seemed to stand there and pray to the Gods, it was solid and still. It showed no signs of movement at all. Gritting my teeth, I pushed off from the wall, racing out of the chamber and down the hall. I dragged my hands along the stone walls, feeling for any kind of budge or movement.

I curved around a corner, calling for Drake, but I couldn't hear a thing other than my own words echoing down the halls and ringing through the chambers. My heart was thrashing in my chest both from exertion and fear as I ran up and down halls and corridors, screaming Drake's name. Drake— my beloved husband— was locked in some pitch black and unknown chamber… What if I couldn't… No, that was preposterous. I _needed_ to find him.

Pushing off from a wall, I sprinted down around another corner, trying to look for any kinds of clues in the walls to open the chamber. Along with past events and old wise sayings, there were a few clues set within stories that told how to get passed traps and into secret chambers. Of course, though, they were buried deep within the most obscure stories and legends, and often on the complete opposite side of the pyramid from the trap or chamber they were connected with.

Gasping softly, I came to a stop against an archway leading towards a hall that would take me down to my father's burial chamber. My heart was racing too fast and my lungs felt like they were going to collapse. I was still relatively near to my mother's chamber, but the number of hallways I had run through had been rather extensive. Clutching my ribs on the left side, I leaned against the archway, panting heavily. I wasn't as young and fit as I had been ten years ago, that was for sure.

Trying to catch my breath, the moment where Drake tumbled through the arch played over and over in my mind and all I could think of was how I wasn't able to reach him in time. Gulping softly, I pictured of an image of Bradley's face and the last time I was unable to help Drake. Chills coursed down my spine and rattled my bones within me, making me shake violently. My knees wobbled and I had to cling to the wall for support to keep from falling over entirely.

Oh, Gods… What if I wasn't able to save Drake? What if he was stuck in there until I ran to get help? What if he tried to find a way out and got caught in a trap? Traps… Images filled my head of water gushing and flooding the room, flames dancing and licking their way up the walls, poisonous gas suffocating him, needles flying out from the ceiling and penetrating him… Tears stung my eyes at these thoughts.

"Gods, Drake…" I whimpered, shaking. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, but I'm going to get you out. I promise you. I promise I'll get you out." But how? How would I get him out? None of the clues that I could remember seeing in the walls and seeing from my childhood indicated how to open the wall. The tile that triggered the switch was the only thing that I could think of, but it had shattered when Drake stepped on it. It was useless at this point.

Groaning heavily, I ran my fingers through my sweaty hair. No other clues and a smashed tile… I froze, staring over at a mural from my childhood. It showed images of myself and Neil when we were younger breaking glass pots and being scolded by our father. In our hands were these large clubs that we used to own… Smashed. Clubs…

Charging down to my father's chamber, I looked around for anything large and heavy enough that I could get a grip on. Breathing heavily, I whipped around and saw a large solid gold rod nestled in a corner. Muttering a soft apology and a prayer for forgiveness, I hurried to it and snatched it free from its stand, turning and sprinting from the chamber.

Racing down the halls with a large and heavy golden rod was a little harder than I gave it credit for, but I couldn't find myself to care. My only real concerns were getting back to Drake in time and making sure that I didn't gouge out my eyes or internal organs with the ends of the rod.

Turning a corner, I flew passed the familiar murals and etchings that painted my mother's childhood and life with my father. I knew I was getting closer to her chamber and that it was only a matter of moments. I slowed to a fast paced walk to catch my breath, calling out for Drake again as I neared the chamber. I could faintly make out his voice calling back to me, scared and strained. My heart lurched in my chest as I rounded the arch that led into her chamber.

The torches burned brightly and I took three long strides towards the wall, pressing my free hand flat against it. "Drake! I'm going to get you out! Stand back from the wall, okay?" I waited a moment, holding my ear to the wall before hearing Drake's soft "okay, ready!" from the other side. I took a step back, clutching the rod in both hands like a bat. Biting my lip, I reared back and swung, hitting the wall as hard as I could.

The vibrations shot up my arms and I dropped the rod as my hands throbbed with shot nerves. For a moment I feared that it hadn't worked. I feared that I had raced across the pyramid maze for a golden rod and nothing to show for it. But when I stood back up and glanced to the wall, I saw a long and deep looking crack about two or three feet long from where I had struck it with the rod.

Grinning, I snatched the rod back up, changing my grip so that it was firm but not too tight and I swung again, slamming it against the wall. I was reminded, for a moment, of walking in one Drake shattering the statue I'd made for Alexander. Clenching my jaw, I swung again, relishing in the sound of the stone wall cracking a little more.

Gasping, I swung the rod again, hitting the stone over and over as hard as I could. A small hole began to appear and the more I hit it, the more it grew. Grunting loudly, I swung one more time, creating a decent sized hole about the size of my face. The surrounding stones were loose and cracking, tumbling down to the floor a little. Dropping the rod, I rushed over to the hole, digging my fingers into the looser stones, pulling them down.

Drake's footsteps sounded before he came to the other side of the wall. He reached out, tears on his face and streaking through some dust on his cheeks, grabbing hold of me. He was whimpering and shaking, looking relieved and frightened at the same time. His hand slid up along my arm and curled around my neck, pulling me as close as the wall and the size of the hole would allow.

"Shh, I'm here, I'm here.." I told him. The hole wasn't large enough for him to climb through. Hell, it wasn't even large enough for him to comfortably get his head through. But it was enough that I could see his face and I could reach in and touch him.

"Gods, Adam…" He whimpered. I took hold of his hand from the back of my neck, kissing it gently.

"I'm here. It's okay, I'm here. I've got you and I'm not going anywhere.."

I wish now that I had been more observant of the moment. That I had taken the time to look down the halls as I raced through them for the signs that would have shown me something was wrong. That something was amiss. But I hadn't. I hadn't because I was so caught up in getting back to Drake. I was so wrapped up in breaking down the wall to save him that I didn't see them.

Hands curled around my shoulders, pulling me back from Drake. I yelped softly, bucking and thrashing at the offending parts. Another pair of hands curled around my wrists as arms looped around my chest, pulling me further from the cracked wall. Drake's eyes were wide and bright in the light, but he'd taken a step back from the hole, almost as if he were hiding.

"Let go of me!" I howled, swinging and thrashing wildly. I caught a glimpse of about five men in black clothes and masks on their faces, trying to shove me down and tie me up. Growling and baring my teeth, I kicked, clawed and punched at them as violently as I could. One man grabbed hold of my arm and twisted it behind my back, but I twisted and tugged against him. "Let go!"

"Adam!" Drake called. Fortunately, none of the men were focused on him, they all had their attention on me. They shouted something at one another in a language that was both foreign and frighteningly familiar. One of them clocked me in the back of my shoulder and kicked at my calf, sending me crying out as I crashed to the floor. Groaning, I thrashed as they tried to hold me down. Drake was calling to me again from his place behind the wall, but I couldn't see him anymore.

"Stop! Get off!" Two men held my arms down while another knelt down on my thighs, pinning me to the floor. I bucked and squirmed as much as I could, snarling and shouting curses at them in the ancient language. The last two men knelt down on either side of me, ripping the sleeves of my shirt open. I screamed at them, kicking the man off of my legs and thrashing as hard as possible before I felt the stabs of needles breaking into my skin.

" _GET! OFF!_ " I roared, prying one arm free. The needle snapped before whatever it was they wanted to inject managed to get into my blood. I swung, curling my hand into a fist and slamming it into one man's face before a searing cold rush flooded my trapped arm. I howled again, clawing at the other two who still had me partially pinned. The cold was rushing through my body, up through my neck and down my chest.

Shivering, I tried to fight them off, but I found myself getting weaker and weaker by the moment. As if whatever they had shot into my system was mobilizing me. One man pressed his knees to my chest, forcing all of the air from my lungs as he covered my head with a thick black bag, synching it loosely around my neck. I swung weak punches at him but my arms were held down I was rolled over so that my chest was pressed into the firm tile of the chamber as my arms were pulled behind my back and my wrists were bound.

The men kept murmuring to one another in their language. I recognized a few words here and there, but in my drugged state it was hard to recognize them. I felt myself get pulled up sort of on my feet, but I wasn't stable enough to walk. I could faintly hear Drake's soft whimpers and I knew he was trying to stay hidden as best as he could. Beneath the bag, my vision was blurry and my eyelids were drooping. I couldn't move any part of me, I couldn't make a sound. I couldn't fight as I was dragged from the chamber. I could only think. And my thoughts were screaming that I was a failure. I had failed Drake again… And I had broken yet another promise…

 _I'm not going anywhere…_


	123. Chapter 123

**Chapter Six: When Punk-tius Comes to Kill the King Upon His Throne  
Drake's POV**

Watching those men pull Adam up to his feet to drag him away made tears spring up into my eyes and anger pump through my veins. Even if I could have gotten out of the room, what would I have been able to do? Adam was much bigger than I was and even he couldn't fight them all off. I didn't have any sort of weapon, so I would literally crumble under their force.

I was ashamed, but I stood back, staying hidden until the soldiers or whatever they were, were dragging Adam away with his wrists bound and a black bag pulled over his head. I stepped forward, watching them and one turned back to look me in the eye. I wanted to step back and hide again, but what exactly would that help. They already knew that I was here. Hiding wasn't going to help me anymore.

The one staring at me turned to the man who seemed to be a little older, probably the leader of the group. He muttered something in a language that I didn't understand and then asked. "Should we take that one, too?" he asked, nudging his head in my direction. My eyes widened a little, fear settling in the pit of my stomach. I was terrified of them taking me, but if they took Adam without me? I believe I was more afraid of living without Adam…

The older man turned to look at me and he smirked a little. "He's very beautiful and we could get some use out of him, but we don't have the time," he said. Hearing that made Adam fight again, trying desperately to squirm out of their hold, but he was just too weak from whatever they injected him with. Part of me knew that he was thinking about Bradley, when he'd raped me and I didn't tell Adam. The thought of these men doing the same thing to me obviously angered him more than they anticipated.

"But sir…" another man said, looking at me as well. "Don't you think—"

"No, we don't have the time to deal with him. Besides, he isn't a threat to us," the leader said and turned away from both his team and me. "He'll probably rot down here anyway. We must go." He started barking orders in that language I didn't really understand but it sounded familiar to me, eerily so.

I swore then that I would make that son of a bitch regret every word that just fell from his lips. I would become the biggest threat in his life and whoever he was working for as well.

They turned away from me completely, mumbling to each other and they started dragging out of his mother's burial room. " _Adam!_ " I shouted, punching the wall. Several loose stones rolled down the wall, but punching the wall was probably not the smartest thing I could have done. The soldiers ignored me and in a matter of seconds, they were gone with my husband and I felt my heart start to ice over.

What if they killed him? What did they even want with him in the first place? Sure, he was the Pharaoh of Egypt and a very powerful man but kidnapping him would accomplish little besides a war. What were they going to do to him? Torture him? Lock him up like he was some sort of rabid dog? Beat him? Rape him? What if they did all those horrible things and his body just couldn't take it? What if they abused him so much, he just died?

Images of the dungeon Brad had been kept in up to the time of his execution flashed through my mind, only it wasn't Bradley would had been attacked and raped by other prisoners, it was Adam, with his arms wrapped tightly around himself and curled up into a little ball. Old blood caked along his head and neck and new blood seeping through his filthy trousers.

"Adam…!" I choked, pulling my hand away from the wall. My knuckles ached and the light flooding in from the burial room was enough to let me see the damage to my hand. My knuckles were bruised and covered in blood. I could bend my fingers but it hurt and I knew I split a couple of my knuckles, if not all of them.

I was starting to feel completely helpless. I was stuck behind a wall in a room that seemed to lead to no where, but even if I got out of this god damned room, I wouldn't know where all the traps were that I needed to stay away from and I didn't even know how to get out of this pyramid. It was one giant maze full of booby traps and I wasn't very good at mazes, period, especially not ones that I could potentially die in.

But if I didn't try something, I might as well have handed Adam over to those men on a silver platter myself. I could not live with myself if I did absolutely nothing, so I did the only thing I could think of. Despite my aching hand and bloodied knuckles, I began digging at the wall, pulling loose stones down from the hole Adam created with that rod. I wish he'd left the rod in the hole so I could have used that. It would have been so much easier than the mini demolition with my fingers, but my hands were the only tools I had.

Stone after stone fell to the floor, some landing on my feet and some clattering loudly to the floor, ringing through the room and leaving my hears ringing a little in the silence of the room. The only sounds were my ragged breathing and the sound of small and large stones falling to the ground.

For a while, it seemed like I was working forever with nothing to show for it, but there came a point when I just had to take a step back. My feet ached from standing on solid stone for so long in sandals with no arch support. My arms felt like they were on fire from pulling down heavy stones and my right had was throbbing and burning from when I punched the wall. I felt like I couldn't breath and I had nothing to quench my thirst.

Perhaps this day trip wasn't as well planned out as Adam and I first thought…

When I actually took a step back and examined my work, my heart fluttered a little. The hole was still fairly small, but I was small too and it wouldn't be comfortable, but I could squeeze myself through it with a little work.

I didn't know how long I'd been working the hole open, so I figured I really didn't have any time to waste. I pushed a few large rocks that fell up against the wall and climbed up on them, hooking my fingers on the other side of the opening and pulling myself up. My head fit through fine but my shoulders were brushing the very edges of the opening. The jagged rocks tore my gold jacket open and scrapped across my skin, but I couldn't stop. I had to get to Adam.

Once my shoulders were past the opening, the rest of my body squeezed out pretty well. Since I was wearing shorts, the stones scrapped across my exposed thighs and calves, but it wasn't anything near as bad as my knuckles or my shoulders, which were bleeding freely.

Tumbling forward from the wall, I ended up landing on an elbow, which hurt like Hell. Vibration shot up my bone and up into my shoulder, but I had to ignore it. I needed to get to Adam straight away. I didn't have time to care about my pain; I could deal with it later, once Adam was safe in the palace with me.

Grabbing the rod Adam had been using to break through the wall, I pushed myself up to my feet and started out of the tomb, holding the rod tight in my hands and close to myself. It was the only thing I could really think of to use as a weapon and I didn't have the time to be picky. It was heavy and hard to run with. My injuries weren't exactly helping my task, but adrenalin pumped through my veins, pushing me forward.

"ADAM?!" I shouted, running through Neil's burial chambers and into the hall, turning the general direction we'd come in from. I could only pray to the Gods that my memory didn't fail me. I had to remember where to turn and what areas Adam had said to avoid because of traps. I was shaking violently, but I didn't let it stop me. I kept pushing, kept running. I had to, I couldn't stop. " _ADAM_?!" I shouted again, tears stinging my eyes as I rounded another corner and then another. I was beginning to feel that I was going the wrong way but I hoped that it was more paranoia that laps in my memory.

Suddenly I heard faint footsteps and they were growing louder, coming towards me. My grip on the bar tightened and I stood my ground, lifting the bar, holding like a bat, much like Adam had when he was trying to break through the wall. Someone rounded the corner and I was ready to swing the bat at him or her, as hard as I could, but then his beautiful, chocolate eyes came into vision.

"Drake?" he asked, coming up to me and I loosened my grip on rod, staring at him like he was a gift from the Gods. "Drake, what on Earth are you doing?" he asked, a frown tugging at his girlish, plump lips. "Holy Ra, what happened to you?" His eyes lingered on the bat, before staring at my bloodied hand and then my torn up shoulders. Finally he looked at the cuts and scrapes on my legs and his eyes wet a little wide. "Holy shit, did you fall into a trap?" he asked, worry clear on his face.

"No—I mean, yeah, I fell through a hidden door that closed on me, but it didn't hurt me. Getting out of the room was what hurt me," I said, dropping the rod to my side, breathing heavily. "What are you doing here?" I asked after a minute, panting lightly.

"Well it was almost midnight when I left the palace. Everyone was worried about you guys so I said I would come out and see what was going on. I found your motorcycle outside knocked over and completely destroyed," he explained. Past midnight?! Adam and I got here at mid day, how had so much time passed already?! "Where's Adam?" he asked after a minute and I bit my lip, looking away. "Drake, where's Adam?"

Tears swelled in my eyes. "I don't know. When I fell through that door, Adam went to find a way to get me out and he came back with this," I explained, lifting the rod a little. "He managed to get a hole in the wall, about the size of my face, but then these guys came into the chambers and they attacked Adam. They injected him with something that made him weak and unable to fight and they tied him up and dragged him off… I dunno how long ago that was. I was trying to get the hole open enough for me to squeeze through it, which is why I look like I've been to Hell and back and then I came out here, hoping I could catch up to them, but apparently my sense of time has been distorted since we came in here…"

Tommy's eyes widened and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around me, mindful of my wounded shoulders. "Oh my Ra… Do you know who the men were?" he questioned as tears rolled down my face, streaking my blood and dirt covered face even more. I was sure I wasn't a very pretty sight to behold right now, but that just didn't matter.

"No… They were wearing all black with masks covering their faces. One of them asked the leader if they should take me too and he said I wasn't worth it because they didn't have the time to get me out and I wasn't a threat to them anyway. He seemed to think I wouldn't be able to get out of the pyramids and that I would starve to death," I said, anger boiling in my blood. "He obviously didn't stop to think that Adam is a _Pharaoh_ and I'm his _husband_. Of course people would come looking for us when we didn't come back!"

Tommy held me tightly and took the rod from me. "I didn't see anyone on my way through the pyramids. I didn't see anyone or anything other than the destroyed bike outside…" he whispered and I was shaking violently, so much so that Tommy was shaking just from the force of my body. "Let's get outside and call the palace, let them know what's happening. They'll send guards and troops out to find Adam. We're going to get him back, baby, I promise we will…" Tommy started to pull me from the pyramid, taking me through the maze and around the traps as easily as Adam did. I felt kind of bad, like this path was something that I should have known since I had been royalty for almost six years.

I still couldn't really believe that, but it was true, and now that Adam had been kidnapped, I knew that I was going to have to take his place as Pharaoh until he was brought home or his corpse was tossed down on the palace steps.

A violent sob forced its way out of my throat when that image appeared in my mind. I wasn't sure what I would do if I saw Adam's lifeless body tossed onto the steps of the palace like he was nothing but garbage. I'd either lose it and hunt down every son of a bitch would was responsible for Adam's death and my misery or I'd lose it and kill myself…

No, I couldn't think like that. Adam would be so disappointed in me. I had to be strong for him and keep the hope that he would be okay, even though I felt like my world was collapsing around me. Tommy held me tight, keeping me steady and pulling me from the pyramid but we couldn't get out fast enough. I felt like I couldn't breathe and I could barely see through the tears that were finally coming down like waterfalls.

I wasn't strong enough to be Pharaoh in Adam's absence.

There wasn't really a way around being given the crown though. Adam had written in his will that if he were to pass or become incapable of ruling Egypt, that he wanted me to take his place. It happened once before, when Elijah had poisoned Adam six years ago. I'd been Pharaoh for a week and even that was too much. There was absolutely no telling for how long I'd have to be Pharaoh, if I ever actually got to stop. I couldn't be a Pharaoh, I didn't even know how to do that… I wasn't built for the job…

Tommy tugged me from the pyramid, pulling me out into the darkness, lit only by the half moon and the stars. I saw my bike and Tommy really wasn't kidding. Both wheels had been detached, the gas can drained into the sand and smashed. Each wheel had been deflated and most of the body had been destroyed. If these men could do that to a bike, what the fuck were they doing to my husband?

New tears formed in my eyes, my throat swollen and aching with the sobs I'd already shed. I felt like I was sick, but I knew it was just from my misery. Tommy's hold tightened around me, pulling me towards a motorcycle almost identical to what mine used to look like before it was destroyed.

Tommy pulled out a phone to call the palace and he handed me a bottle of water from the saddlebag on his motorcycle. "Drink, Drake, you need it," he said and I really wasn't in any position to argue with him, so I uncapped the bottle and drained it. I could hear Tommy explain as quickly as he could what had happened and then he thanked the person on the other end. "They're sending guards to search for Adam, but right now, I need to get you home."

"N-no, Tommy, I need to go find Adam…" I protested but Tommy shook his head and took my arm, pulling me to his bike.

"No, Drake, we need to get you home to get you cleaned up and see a doctor. We will find him, Drake, but you wandering around the dessert is not going to help," he said. "Now please get on the bike, please?" I was reminded of when I ran away after Bradley told me about Alexander and how I had almost been raped out in some second-rate town in the middle of the dessert.

"Okay…" I whispered miserably, climbing onto the back of Tommy's bike. He put his phone away and climbed on in front of me. I wrapped my arms around his midsection, pressing my head between his shoulder blades as he started the bike.

"I was in such a rush, I completely forgot to grab helmets," he told me. "So just hang on tight and we'll be back at the palace as soon as possible, okay?" he asked and I just nodded into his back, bringing my legs up so he could rev the bike and shoot off through the dessert, my tears and blood staining his clothes as he drove.


	124. Chapter 124

**Chapter Seven: You Never Said That It Would Be This Hard**

 **Tommy's POV**

With the night to cloak us on our journey back, Drake's arms wrapped themselves tight around my waist, his face tucked between my shoulder blades as I started the engine of the motorcycle I'd borrowed. Revving it once, I took off and we began the trip back to the palace. The chill of the midnight air whipped through my clothes and rustled my hair, sending shivers down my spine as I veered in and out of brush and rock. The motorcycle hummed softly, the engine purring quietly in the night.

The moon was casting shadows in its half-full glow. Few clouds dotted the starry skies as the lights of the palace came into view. The pyramids were a good five or ten miles away from the rest of the city, nothing but vast and empty farm land separating the two places. Truly, it was a beautiful sight to see such open wonder, but after everything that had happened tonight it just felt lonely and cold.

Drake was trembling behind me, whimpering and crying into my shirt. I glance down at his hands, seeing the bruised and bloodied mess of one and the light, dirty scrapes of the other. It looked as if he'd punched a wall—which probably happened at some point, I had no doubt—before cutting it against rocks; also something that must have happened. I sighed softly, lifting my gaze before cutting around a wide corner, avoiding a large statue of the death god, Anubis. My heart skipped a beat and I let out the breath I'd sucked in, flying down the road towards the palace.

I stared hard at the road, trying not to let all of what Drake had said distract me too much from driving. But parts of it were inevitable, really… Adam had been kidnapped. Adam—the beloved Pharaoh of all Egypt—had been taken. My hands froze and trembled against the handle bars of the motorcycle and I swallowed the lump from my throat, breathing as evenly as I could.

It was impossible. Adam couldn't have been taken. When Drake had initially told me, I thought it was a practical joke of sorts that he and Adam were playing. I'd had half a mind to start laughing and call for Adam, but the tears and undeniable agony in Drake's eyes were a little too real to be a joke. I'd forced myself to swallow the laughter as shock washed over me.

Even still, Adam couldn't be gone… He couldn't be. Adam was strong and courageous and no matter how hard things got for him, he would still pull through. He'd do everything in his power to succeed. He didn't have to win or be the best, but he would give everything he had for anything and he'd keep fighting. And now to hear that he had been taken. That he was gone…

Tears clung to the corners of my eyes and I tried to blink them away. The cold air made them sting and I swallowed the lump from my throat again, slowing down as we neared the palace. I peeled off the road and drove to a smaller building off to the eastern wing of the palace, cruising in through a wide doorway. Inside were hundreds of motorcycles, all painted a glossy black. They were armored and built of material like titanium. They ran off of non-toxic fuel that, as it burned, was filtered through a cylinder in the bike to later emit warm oxygen. In the last few centuries, technology had advanced enough to eliminate toxic gasses and pollution.

I pulled the bike to park in its space, killing the engine. Drake sluggishly removed his arms from my waist, and we climbed off the bike. Pocketing the phone, I curled my arm around Drake, bringing him to my side. He clutched my shirt in his dirt and blood covered fingers, whimpering softly. My heart cracked harshly in my chest and I had to fight the sobs that shook my ribcage.

We walked out of the building and in through a side entrance to the palace. I had called Cassidy earlier and told him that we would meet him and Alexander in the meeting hall just off of the east wing. Due to the late hours of the night, most servants had already gone to bed, and the hallways were empty as we hurried down them. The pace was a little slow, though, due to the scrapes in Drake's arms and legs, and the fact that walking through the palace halls seemed to make him shake more and more.

"Come on, Drake," I murmured gently in his ear, holding him as close as I could and still walk. Drake was trembling violently, tears cascading down his cheeks relentlessly. The sight of him made me whimper, the urge to just stop and hold him until he cried himself to sleep strong. But I didn't. I kept pulling him along until we reached the wide, double doors of the meeting hall. I pressed my hand to one of the doors, which was cracked open some, and pushed. It swung easily, and I pulled Drake inside.

Cassidy and Alexander were standing side by side close to the table. They were dressed in identical white trousers and shirts with deep sapphire robes that draped to the floor, open to show the white. The hems were embroidered in gold and I could only imagine that there had been a meeting while Drake and Adam were away.

They lifted their heads simultaneously to us, their eyes landing first on me then Drake. Both pairs widened and two mouths dropped, both of the advisors rushing over to Drake immediately. I kept myself glued to Drake's side as they swarmed him, talking quickly. Mixes of "Oh, Ra, are you alright?" and "What happened Drake?" and "Where's Adam, Drake?" were blown at him like gunfire. Drake merely whimpered, more tears streaming, and they both shut up.

"Tommy," Cassidy sniped, turning his hard brown eyed gaze to me. "You said earlier that something had happened… Where's Adam?" My heart jerked and lurched up into my throat. My mouth felt dry and I licked my lips, hoping to be able to choke the words out as best as I could.

"Adam," I croaked, wincing softly. "Adam's…Adam's been kidnapped…" My words were soft and weak, unyielding in the painful truth and yet not wanting to believe it all the same. Cassidy and Alexander's eyes widened as much as they could. Alexander looked as if he were about to faint. Cassidy looked like he was about to go into shock. The silence of the hall, with the exception of Drake's soft crying, was deafening. I swore, if I could drop a pin I'd be able to hear it echo throughout the room.

Alexander shook his head a little, staring hard at me as if I'd spoke blasphemy. I clenched my jaw, looking away from him as tears stung my eyes. "It's true… Drake said that when they were in the pyramids, he got trapped in a secret room. Adam tried to save him and was taken by several men clad in black with masks…" I began, finding the words tumbling like dry leaves from my lips.

"He said that there was a man who seemed to be a little older than the rest, like a leader.. and that he recognized his voice…" Cassidy's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to me.

"Who's was it?" He asked, glancing at Drake. I frowned, turning to the young King. Tears glistened in his eyes and sparkled on his cheeks, soaking his blood and dirt stained shirt.

"One of the councilmen from Persia…" Drake whispered, his bloodshot eyes fixated on the floor. They were soaked with agony and fear as a soft whine sounded from his throat, and he tucked himself closer to me. Cassidy's eyes widened some and he seemed to look past me, as if thinking back to the recent meeting we'd had with men from Persia.

"Impossible. Our ties with Persia were not the greatest, but they would never—" Cassidy began, but Alexander cut him off.

"It is possible, Cassidy. We've had several meetings with members and kings from Libya, Syria, Chad, Turkey and even as far as Iraq—though that is a place of questionable allegiance. But Persia—Iran… Especially with their new king, Emir Falah, our ties have been weaker than ever. It is not so strange, truly, that the Persians would be behind this attack…"

"But if they were to take Adam, why not take Drake as well. Are they not aware that Drake is just as powerful in royalty as Adam? That Drake is just as much of a king?!" Drake whimpered beside me, shaking violently. I cooed at him, trying to get him to calm down. Alexander sighed softly, taking Drake's opposite side. Together we guided him to a chair so he could sit. I crouched beside him, taking his hand.

"I'm sure they are aware, Cassidy… I don't know why they wouldn't have taken Drake, but by Gods, I'm glad they did not. Taking Adam was far more than enough…" Alexander said gently, sitting down across the table from Drake and I. Cassidy let out a heavy breath before sitting at the head of the table, running his fingers through his hair.

"Tommy, how long ago did Drake say that Adam was taken?" I bit down on my bottom lip, standing up to stretch my legs as I ran my fingers through Drake's hair, trying to soothe him.

"Several hours, at least. He and Adam left at midday and when I went to find them, it was midnight." I explained, and Cassidy cursed.

"So they're well on their way back to Persia then. Even with bikes, though, that's a long journey," Cassidy said, and Alexander perked up a little, staring intently at the other advisor.

"Then why not call for a rescue mission. If it's a long journey and we head out by dawn, we might be able to make up ground and catch them before they get back to Persia. We can save Adam and make this mess into a more peaceful—" beside me, I felt Drake tense and he lifted his head, glaring across the table at the brunette.

"Peaceful?" He hissed, his voice cracked and hoarse. "Peaceful?! There _is_ no peace, Alexander! Persians just kidnapped the _Pharaoh_ of _all Egypt_! They're not going to hand him back willing or peacefully simply because we caught them before they could hurry home!" Drake's voice was hard and loud, echoing in the small space of the hall. Alexander sat staring at him with a gaping mouth for a moment before trying to collect himself.

"I was just trying to make a suggestion, Drake.. If we opt for peace we can avoid a war—"

"Opting for peace does nothing! They snuck into our sacred pyramids. They dishonored our dead and they _took him like he was a slave_!" Drake roared, leaping from his chair. Alexander's eyes narrowed a little and I watched his jaw clench. My heart skipped a beat and I froze.

"Well what do you suggest, then? Would you rather ride out and throw yourself into a ruckus of gunfire and bloodshed? Would you put your life on the line and Egypt at risk when you could avoid all of that?" Alexander's tone was hard and cold for an advisor, but he made certain not to start shouting. Drake on the other hand was beyond that point.

"Yes, I would! Because there is no call for peace! They kidnapped the Pharaoh of Egypt! That is not an act of friendly fire, that is _war_ , Alexander! You want to avoid war—they've already started our war!" Alexander lurched from his seat, staring with fire blazing in his eyes at Drake. Cassidy and I were left speechless.

"Don't you understand, Drake? They kidnapped Adam because they _want_ to start war! They want you to lash out and make the first move! They want you to fuel the initiative to fight! Don't you see what I'm trying to avoid here? I'm trying to save Egypt and ultimately save Adam!" Drake snarled, slamming his hands on the table.

"You are not Adam's lover—his husband! You are not his King! He is yours as much as he is my King, but _I_ am his! It's _my_ duty to see him home safe and sound, not yours! Adam left it in his will that _I_ ensure the continuance of Egypt, _not you_!" I felt my heart freeze over and I knew by the expression on his face that Cassidy felt the same.

" _Hey!_ " Alexander roared, and Drake spat at him.

" _What?!_ "

"You think I don't know that Adam is not mine?! You think I don't understand what his kidnapping entitles?! I'm trying to give options, Drake! I'm trying to help you save him! And you still believe that my initiative is to take him away? _I don't need Adam like you need him_." Alexander roared, his eyes blazing black. Drake was stunned into silence.

"I love him to death, don't misunderstand. He is my King and he will always be my King. But he is my friend. He was my lover once, just as he is yours now. And if you think for a moment that my strategies are to take him from you instead of save him, then you are far more naïve than you appear to be! Running into war and getting yourself killed won't do anyone any favors, especially Adam!" Drake snarled at that last part, the fire burning bright in his eyes again.

"I'm not running into anything, Alexander. I will not run, and if you so dare as to demand and degrade me further, I swear I will have you locked up and replaced. I am in no mood to tolerate your tone and your words—" Alexander opened his mouth but Drake raised his hand. "Hold your tongue, Alexander. I have done with you…" Turning on his heel, Drake stormed out, his shoulders tense and footsteps heavy as he shoved the door open, letting it slam against the wall before he disappeared down the hall.

I couldn't breathe for a moment. I had to lean against the corner of the table just to keep myself upright. Across from me I watched Alexander's mouth shut as he clenched his jaw, glaring after where Drake had disappeared. I had never seen him so angry and so defiant before in the time that I had known him, and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

"As you wish, My King," he gritted even though Drake had left. I swallowed the lump in my throat, making quick eye contact with my lover before turning away, hurrying out of the doorway and down the hall. Drake was turning a corner, no doubt making way for his and Adam's bedroom when I finally caught up to him.

"Drake.. baby, wait.." I panted softly and he whipped around, tears in his eyes.

"What?! Are you here to yell at me too?!" He hissed and I winced softly, taking his hand in mine.

"No, Drake, I am not. Alexander shouldn't have, even as your advisor. If I did, my status as a pleasure servant would pay me nothing but punishment.." I told him and Drake sighed heavily, slowing to a stop.

"Tommy, you know I would never punish you.." He said but I just shook my head.

"Drake… You are Pharaoh now… It will be expected of you to pay your servants their dues if they disobey or act out of line. Alexander did such tonight, but I know that much of your argument was done out of anger and sadness. It would do well to sleep it off and pardon it tomorrow…" I told him, feeling like an old and wise sage for some reason. Drake sighed again.

"Please don't talk about me being Pharaoh… I don't want.." he trailed off, tears falling and I pulled him into my arms, holding him close.

"I know, Drake, I know… But we'll get him back. I know we will. We'll get him back and everything will be alright, baby.. I promise you.." Drake whimpered, crying heavily into my shirt again.

"I can't do this, Tommy. I can't do this again. It was bad enough those years ago when he was poisoned. But at least then I knew he was going to be alright. The doctor assured us that he would be fine. Now I don't know. He's not here. He's not in the safety of his home with his family. I don't even know if he's alive—" he shuddered, his words cutting off as he sobbed.

"Shh, Drake… It's alright. It'll be alright. Adam will be fine. We'll bring him home and everything will be alright…"


	125. Chapter 125

**Chapter Eight: I Won't Be the One Who Says That  
Hiei's POV**

I walked into the hall to a shouting match between Drake and his almost yet older twin. At first it just sounded like a bunch of screeching meshed together to be one high, loud and unwanted noise, but the longer I stood there, the more I understood what they were shouting about.

Drake was screaming about a war, or something, and that Alex was completely out of line to speak to him in a way that was so demeaning. I could actually understand Drake's anger. He was the Pharaoh's husband, after all. He held the most power in the palace, along with the actual Pharaoh of all of Egypt. Alexander was his and Adam's adviser and really had no right to be screaming at the young king.

But Alexander seemed to have a point of his own. He was screaming about peace and Drake rushing into a war, blind and irrational. It was a point that was definitely worth being made but Alex was definitely going about it the wrong way. That and the fact that I really couldn't be bias to one side since I didn't really know what they were truly arguing about. I only heard the tail end of the conversation before Drake spun around on his heels and stormed out of the room, tears clinging in his eyes.

He didn't even notice me as he rushed out of the room, but I couldn't really blame him. Whatever this was all about, he was obviously extremely upset about it. Tommy ran after him, also not noticing me and I just watched them both rush by, trying to piece together everything that was going on. I had been extremely confused since Cassidy and I were in our bedroom, asleep after dinner and a nice hour of intimacy. His phone had gone off some time past midnight and he got up to answer it. He told me not to worry, but he had something he and Alex needed to attend to and that he would be back as soon as he could.

That had been a few hours ago and I'd gotten increasingly worried even though Cassidy told me not to worry. Usually when he said something like 'don't worry and go back to sleep' there was definitely something to worry about. I was going to walk over to Cassidy to find out what was happening, but I stopped when I saw Cassidy grab Alex's arm and turn him so they were facing each other.

"Alex, I know you are trying to be logical and rational about all of this, but you can't just yell at Drake like that. I know you're afraid that he's going to make a mistake because he's young and he is inexperienced, but you can't just shout at him every time he says something you don't agree with," Cassidy said calmly, a pleasant change after the shouting matching that almost turned into the next world war right in the palace.

"I know that, Cass, I know, but he's talking about waging a war with Persia and he can't just run into something like that! War should be the very last option and you and I both know that!" Alex exclaimed but compared to the screaming he'd just been participating in, he sounded extremely calm. "Drake's not thinking rationally because he's so upset, but he can't just let his emotions throw his entire country into a war!"

Cassidy put both of his hands on either side of Alex, holding his arms and keeping him steady. "We're not going to just rush into a war, Alex. Once Drake is cleaned up, calmed down and had a decent night's sleep, we will talk to him in a calm discussion, meaning no screaming or shouting at him. As much as you don't agree with what he said, you can't just scream at him. He is your king and now he is your pharaoh. Now you know Drake loves you dearly but right now he's emotionally unstable and you can't expect him to be lenient on you if you speak out of term," Cassidy explained.

Pharaoh? What was Cassidy talking about? Drake was the Pharaoh now? Did that mean something horrible happened to Adam? Oh Ra, was he _dead_?! Is that what the phone call was about and, if it was, I was going to fucking kill him because he told me not to worry and to go back to sleep. Adam, the Pharaoh of Egypt, and my friend being dead or in danger was something to fucking worry about!

But if something didn't happen to Adam, Drake wouldn't be Pharaoh right now…

"I know… I let my emotions get out of hand and I shouldn't have shouted at him, but he's being a little selfish if he thinks that he's the only one affected by Adam's disappearance… He's important to everyone in Egypt and he's extremely important to everyone in the palace," Alex mumbled, frowning a little.

"Alex, I know that, I do, but you need to stop and look at what Drake's been through today. He tripped into a trap door and got stuck inside a pyramid wall for Ra only knows how long. He was terrified and scared, alone in the dark and when Adam was finally starting to get him out of there, five Persian soldiers attacked Adam and dragged him away and Drake had to just sit there and watch them drag his lover off without being able to do one thing to help him. He spent the rest of his time trying to get out of that trap and he got pretty beat up in the process," Cassidy explained, like he was an old man telling an ancient tale passed down through the generations. "He's heartbroken right now and he doesn't know how to deal with losing Adam like this. He's terrified that Adam won't come back to him and he's also scared because he's being pushed back into this extremely important role of being Pharaoh and that scares him. You screaming at him isn't going to help any of that. We need to be there for him and we need to guide him. We also must show him the same respect we gave Adam because he _is_ our Pharaoh and if he wishes it, he can have us punished and replaced in an instant."

Drake wouldn't really replace Alex and Cassidy as his advisers, would he? He wouldn't… punish them would he? He loved them too much… He was just heart broken from Adam's sudden- kidnapping?- apparently.

"Okay, yeah… I know you're right, I just—" Alex started, seeming to lose his train of thought. "I'll apologize to him tomorrow when we sit down to talk to him. I know I owe him that… I was completely out of line… and I know that…" It sounded like Alex didn't really want to admit he was wrong, but he was. After a moment, he actually noticed I was standing there and he nodded his head in my direction. A second later, Cassidy turned to see me as well and his eyes rounded a little.

"Baby…" he whispered loud enough for me to hear but just barely. Sighing, Cassidy walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "How long have you been standing here, Hiei?" he whispered into my ear and I leaned into him, a heavy sigh falling off of my still slightly swollen lips.

"A while… You were all so soaked into your fight that no one even noticed I was here…" I muttered quietly and looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.

Alex went for the exit. "I'm going to send out a scouting party for Adam and then I am going to retire for the night," the shorter adviser said. "I'll see you both at breakfast. Try to have a peaceful night and decent sleep," he added, giving us a little, forced smile before disappearing out the massive double doors, leaving Cassidy and I alone in the meeting hall.

"Why did you tell me not to worry if you knew something so awful happened, Cass?" I asked, staring up at him after Alex had left. "Adam being kidnapped? By Persians? I'd say that's something to worry about. You could have just told me… "

Cassidy sighed, his arms tightening around my waist. "I'm sorry baby, I really am… I just, I was hoping that this was all just one big misunderstanding and that Adam would come home and we'd get a different story and if not, then I would tell you, but I didn't want to worry and scare you so late at night. I just wanted you to get a good night's sleep before throwing something like this at you…"

"I appreciate that, Cass, but I'm not a little boy. You don't have to protect me or ensure that I get a good night's sleep. I can take care of myself and I just want you to keep me in the loop… I hate feeling like I'm the last to know, like I don't really matter all that much. I want to know when something happens to my friends…" I said, trying to make a legitimate case for why people _should_ talk to me about the things that happen around the palace, even if I wasn't a royal or an adviser. Neither was Tommy but he was kept in the loop!

He kept one arm around my waist and started walking me slowly out of the meeting hall, leading me down to our bedroom. "I'm sorry, sweet heart. You know I don't want to 'leave you out of the loop'. I'm sorry, I should have told you right away, I was wrong," he whispered into my ear, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to my temple as we walked through the empty halls. It was a little past three in the morning. All of the sane people in the palace were already asleep in their beds. Lucky bastards.

"Just… please stop trying to protect me and just tell me up front? The next time something so awful happens, I don't want to find out about it by walking in on a screaming match between a young Pharaoh and his adviser. It was scary, honestly, to see Drake and Alex going at it like that. It made it even more terrifying to see Drake so beat up, like he had already been in a scrap fight or something… I'd like to know what's going on before that point happens, okay?" I asked, looking up at him and he smiled down at me, pecking me gently on the lips. "I mean Tommy knows everything and he's pretty much at the same status I am…" I said, just to further my case.

"All right, darling, if it makes you happy, I won't sugar coat anything for you. I'll just give it to you just like it is, okay?" he asked and I smiled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you," I said. "That's really all I'm asking for." He smiled softly at me and we continued walking. We passed by Alex, who was talking with a group of about twelve guards, telling them about the situation and explaining to them where they needed to go to start looking and, hopefully, finding the group that took Adam before they got back to Persia.

I couldn't really fight the frown because it upset me to know that we wouldn't see Adam at breakfast tomorrow. Sure, I wasn't his lover or anything, but he had grown to become one of my closest friends. Who would have thought? I was friends with the Pharaoh of Egypt, me, a 'street rat'. I wondered what would happen if the search party couldn't find him. What it… Adam wasn't brought home? What if he never came home?

My stomach threatened to fail me just by thinking about something so horrible.

"So… what's going to happen now?" I asked as we stepped into our room. "I mean… what are we going to do if those guards don't find Adam tonight?" I asked again, looking up at my lover, my husband.

Cassidy sighed deeply, closing the bedroom door behind him and locking it before he turned to face me completely. "I'm not entirely sure yet, Hiei. Hopefully Adam will be brought home by morning, but if now, Drake, Alex and I will figure out what we are going to do to get him back," he told me and he must have seen the horrified look on my face because he stepped forward and pulled me to him, holding me tight against his larger frame. "We are going to get him back, Hiei. We'll find him, I promise," he whispered into my ear, one of his hands coming up my back to pet my hair.

I wanted to believe him, I truly did, but there was that lingering thought in the back of my mind. I didn't even want to think it or voice it, but the thought was there regardless.

 _What if it was already to late to save Adam? What if he was… What if he was dying?_

 _What if he was already dead?_


	126. Chapter 126

**Chapter Nine: I Am The Shepherd…**

 **Cassidy's POV**

I couldn't sleep.

Even as the dawn came rushing in to greet me and my sleeping lover, I couldn't sleep. Images of what drake and Tommy had spoke of haunted me. Adam was gone… Kidnapped by the Persians. Held hostage somewhere far from here for purposes of war, no doubt. With these images, I could still hear the argument between Drake and Alexander running through my head like a skipping song; screaming their anger and agony back and forth at one another like rabid dogs before parting ways.

When sunlight began to wash through the windows, I peeled myself away from Hiei, letting him sleep in silence as I dressed into a pair of white shorts and a red robe that trailed to the floor. I tied it with a sash, letting it hang off of my bare shoulders as I ran my fingers through my hair. Unlike Adam and Drake, I got my hair trimmed on a relatively monthly basis, keeping it short and somewhat neat. Slipping into my sandals, I crossed to the door of mine and Hiei's bedroom, opening the door and stepping out into the hall. Shutting it quietly, I made my way down the long stretch of open hallway.

It felt strange to be walking the halls at dawn. Normally, I woke up in the morning fairly easily and early, but this early was a little ridiculous. Especially after the night I'd had before. Gods… Last night had been terrible in every possible way. Between Adam being kidnapped and the fight between Drake and Alexander…

Gods.. It was difficult enough to imagine that Adam could have been taken. But to have it be fact was an entirely different thing. And by the Persians, of all people… While it had been a suspicion amongst myself, Alexander and Adam of their poor allegiance, none of us betted on it actually falling to pieces. And now here we were… Drake's heart in shreds, Alex and myself at a loss and Adam missing…

Sighing heavily, I slowed my pace to an aimless walk, folding my hands behind my back. The ends of the robe trailed along the stone flooring of the palace, the gold hemming catching the light of the sun. A soft breeze carried through and swept over my shoulders, but even the slight chill wasn't enough to shake me. What did though was the knowledge that no matter how many times I would walk these halls today, I would not see Adam…

"Gods…" I whispered, coming to a stop near a large, arched window. Adam had been living in this palace his entire life. He'd gone to other countries for treaties and exotic adventures, but he'd never really left it. He had no desires to. Not to mention his duties were here. He was Pharaoh, his responsibility was here.

Now he was gone.

The promises made to Drake to bring Adam home kept tumbling through my mind. What if we didn't bring him home? What if we couldn't get him back? Or, worse, what if he was brought back to the palace..dead? A shiver ran through my body and I felt tears sting my eyes. The idea of Adam being pale and lifeless, dumped into our palace like damaged-but-returned property made my stomach churn and clench.

No. I couldn't think like that. We had to bring him home… We had to. For Drake and for Egypt.

Pushing off from the wall, I began walking further down the hallways of the palace. I wasn't really sure where I was going, as I had no real initiative to go anywhere. I didn't have someplace that I needed to be, and I couldn't go back to my room to sleep because I knew sleep would not grace me. In truth, I was in a pretty poor situation with nothing to do and no one to talk to. Not that I could really find pleasure in talking to anyone now…

I had to wonder, though. Had the news spread? Had the palace servants been informed of Adam's disappearance? Or had the guards kept their mouths shut as they went out into the late hours of the night to begin their search? Did the city folk know? Had they heard the news? I rubbed the back of my neck gently, sighing softly as I walked. Egypt would be in a panicked uproar when they heard that Adam was missing.

Did this mean, now, that Egypt was at risk of attack? Now that Egypt was missing its primary king, would we be considered defenseless? Even with such a thought, it would be ridiculous to act on it. Adam had married, and in his will he had written Drake to take over the throne and the responsibilities of being Pharaoh should anything ever happen. His kidnapping fell under such category, giving Drake full power to the throne. Should we be attacked, we have a Pharaoh to call the orders for battle.

But Drake was young… He had no experience in the art of war and had only served as Pharaoh once before when Adam had been poisoned. As it was, the idea of being Pharaoh again terrified Drake, that much was obvious. He would have to start learning everything very, very quickly… Things that had taken Adam years to understand, Drake would have to know in days, weeks. Months at the very most. Chances couldn't be taken depending on how long Adam was gone…

"Cassidy?" I heard a voice behind me and I turned, seeing Tommy walking up to me. I sighed and smiled softly at the blond, taking note to the exhausted that lined his eyes like powder.

"Tommy.. How are you this morning?" I asked him and he shrugged softly. He was wearing a white vest and matching white shorts with well-worn leather sandals. Simple and neat. Clean cut, even.

"I've been better. It's not every day you wake up to remember that your Pharaoh is missing…" He said and I felt my heart clench a little. The pain must have shown on my face for Tommy harbored a sorrowful expression. "I'm sorry, I… I did not mean to be so bold about such a tender subject." I shook my head.

"It's alright, Tommy. I understand your meaning. But why are you up so early?" Tommy sighed softly, falling in step beside me as we walked.

"I couldn't sleep anymore. I stayed with Drake last night to comfort him. He cried until close to dawn before passing out. I wish I was as lucky as him." I nodded once, frowning a little.

"Poor thing… That boy has been through so much since being brought here," I mused gently. Tommy frowned some before looking at me.

"What do you mean?"

"He was taken from his family when he was eighteen; a young, supple and naïve virgin who'd been working his entire life to help support his family. In the same night of his upbringing in the palace, he gave his virginity to the Pharaoh of Egypt, the very man who took ordered soldiers to take him from home.

"Later he was inked—a painful process in and of itself—before being the victim of harassment and abuse from a seemingly trusted advisor. After that, even, he finds his youngest sibling murdered in his own bedroom, no doubt killed by his assailant. He was then neglected by the man he was in love with before being told that he was nothing more than a cover-up for an old lover than he had a striking resemblance with.

"With this knowledge, he ran away from home with little in the ways of food, water and money, was assaulted again and nearly taken advantage of before being brought back home. Several happy years go by and, all at once, he gets married, watches his best friend fall ill with fever—" at this, I noticed Tommy's cheeks flame a little, but his eyes grew somber and distant. He remembered that time well… "—and becomes acquainted with the supposed dead lover that he had so much likeness to.

"Afterwards, the life of his husband is compromised and he's forced into the role of Pharaoh. Everyone comes back to after a while, he gains trust within his husband's old lover before being attacked by a servant boy who served the advisor who hurt him when he was younger. He nearly loses his own life and watches someone close to him take the blade instead.

"Out of hate and anguish, he lashes out and, effectively, slaughters his attempted murderer in a blind rage that he doesn't even remember. And now he's here… The day after his husband's fortieth birthday, thrown back into the role of Pharaoh without having a single clue of whether or not his lover is alive… Tell me something, Tommy… Drake claims that he's not as strong or as capable as everyone believes him to be, but how does he have the will to keep living and fighting every day when he's had a life like this?"

Tommy was silent for a long moment, clearly perturbed by the retold horrors of Drake's life living here at this palace. Sure, there are hundreds of good memories that the young king has had, but there have been tragedies as well. Many, many tragedies— traumatic occurrences, really. Most people would be haunted eternally by just one of the things that Drake had been through, and somehow he was able to get up every day and keep going.

But how much more could he take before he just snapped?

"I don't know… Drake is definitely young, still, in heart and soul. But with everything he's been through, he's matured over the years. He's not the same naïve boy that he once was. He's grown into an intelligent young man with an incredibly brave personality." I smiled softly at Tommy.

"You speak so fondly of him," I commented and Tommy chuckled quietly.

"Drake may be my king, but he will always be the baby of this place as well. He has his moments where he still seems like he's the young and innocent eighteen year old virgin again.." Tommy murmured gently and I nodded once. That much was very true. Drake could have his moments where he was bashful and sweet. And then he had moments where we was demanding or devilishly sinful.

"You would be advised not to speak of him in such a manner around Alexander though. He might get jealous…" I chuckled and Tommy laughed softly, throwing his head back a little bit.

"Let him be jealous! Drake spent many of his own years being jealous of Alexander. Besides, Drake harbors all of the beauty, youth and energy that Alexander once had for himself. Of course he's going to be jealous…" I smirked softly, giving Tommy a shrug of the shoulder in agreement. I had known Alexander for a good handful of years before he seemed to pass on with the fever, and I had grieved his loss much like Adam had. But Alexander and I had not been close like we were now. Alexander was Adam's responsibility, and at the time my focus had been with Bradley.

Biting my lip a little, I pictured my old lover in the back of my mind. I painted his adorable, boyish face and large brown eyes clearly. His chipper voice would still ring through my ears on occasion, but I knew I no longer felt guilt for sending him off to his own death. He betrayed Egypt, betrayed Adam and betrayed me. While I had mourned of the passion lost between us, I was happy now and had little in the ways of thought for Bradley. He was the scum of the Underworld now.

Besides, I was happily married to Hiei and had no reason to be brooding about Bradley. Just as Adam had Drake…

"Of course, no one will envy Drake. Not for a while…" Tommy glanced at me curiously for a moment, but when our eyes met, his chocolate ones softened greatly, and he nodded once.


	127. Chapter 127

**Chapter Ten: Hate is a Strong Word, So is Heart Broken  
Drake's POV**

I sobbed and I cried all night. I only fell asleep when my throat was so sore. My bleeding and torn hand didn't even hurt as much but I didn't stay asleep long. When I passed out from crying it was almost dawn and, when I woke up, the sun had just finished rising, but Tommy wasn't with me anymore. I supposed I couldn't really blame him. I was a pathetic sight to behold and, if I were him, I wouldn't want to be around me either…

For a while, I just laid in my empty and now loveless bed, but laying where Adam and I had made love countless times by myself depressed me and I slowly peeled myself from the sheets that held broken and empty promises.

Going into the bathroom to bathe, I thought I would feel a little better. I felt that if I could scrub myself clean, I could wash away everything from yesterday. Like every event would just crumble away and I would pull myself from the tub and fall into Adam's arms. But I knew that wouldn't happen… Bathing didn't make me feel any better. Being clean didn't make me feel pure, it just made my ruined hand and all of the cuts and scrapes on my body burn.

I hoped that none of them were infected, but the dust from the pyramids could have done a number of things to me. I didn't want to deal with getting infections and having the doctor come to see me (but someone probably already called him to come and visit me). But part of me wished I did have a serious infection, because then I could be bedridden and I wouldn't have to be Pharaoh. Hell, maybe the infection would get so horrible, it would just kill me and I wouldn't have to deal with this heartache anymore. Alexander and Tommy thought they knew what I was going through, but they knew nothing. No one could possibly understand my agony.

Bradley was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I firmly believed he would always be the worst thing in my existence. The rapes, the murder of my little sister, the threats… All of the physical and emotion trauma he inflicted on me were the worst pains I'd ever felt in my life, but now he didn't seem like anything. Bradley was just a flea in the whole scheme of life, but Adam being ripped away from me? Maybe even dead and never to return? I felt like my heart was ripped from my chest and thrown to rabid dogs that tore it apart between their vicious teeth.

I felt like my heart was never going to get over to get this agony and I truly believed that I would never stop feeling like this. Not until Adam was holding me in his arms again, telling me how much he loved me.

As much as I felt like I wanted to just die, I knew I couldn't just give up on life. Adam wasn't dead yet, not to me, and I wasn't going to give up on my lover without fighting for him. It was more than just Adam though… He trusted me to take care of his entire kingdom if anything ever happened to him. He thought that I, above all others, would be able to lead Egypt through such a dark time. I didn't necessarily agree with him, but failure wasn't an option. If Adam wanted me to be Pharaoh when he couldn't, I was going to be Pharaoh to the best of my abilities and, while I was searching for him, I would keep Egypt from falling apart.

I was going to try, at least…

In realizing that I couldn't just throw my life away, I dried off carefully and mindful of all my small wounds and I went over to the large vanity in the bathroom. Most of the makeup Adam and I wore was in a vast vanity that was placed in our bedroom, along with a ton of jewelry that we wore when we were getting really dressed up. In the bathroom's vanity, we had basic cosmetics, medicines and ointment. So I stuffed a rag into my mouth to bite down on and I opened the rubbing alcohol, dumping it out onto my busted and bruised knuckles.

The pain was even worse than I imagined, but I just bit down on the rag, crying into it before repeating the process with the alcohol on some of the worse cuts and wounds on the rest of my body. Thankfully it was mostly my arms, lower thighs and calves that were hurt in trying to escape from that blasted room I trapped myself in. Fuck, I was so damned stupid! If I hadn't locked myself in there, we would have been home before those Persian soldiers showed up at all.

Adam being kidnapped was all my fault and that just added to my heartache, as if it wasn't bad enough already.

By the time I went back out to the bedroom, freshly cleaned and in pain from dumping rubbing alcohol into open wounds, it was just about time for breakfast, but I wasn't hungry. In fact, I was sure if I tried to eat something, I would throw up all over the table in front of everyone. I didn't want that to happen and I also didn't want to face all those people. I wasn't going to be able to hold myself together with all of those people swarming me, asking me if I was all right and what I was going to do about the situation. Most of all, I didn't want to deal with Alexander, especially after our huge fight last night. That was the last thing I needed to deal with.

So, instead, I pulled on a pair of white, loose fitting trousers. Usually I hated wearing pants. I was really more of a shorts kind of guy, but I didn't want everyone to see the condition of my legs, especially my mother. She would just freak out and unnecessarily worry about me. I didn't need to have her more upset than she already was going to be about Adam's disappearance. She thought of Adam as her own son even though that was impossible since she was only five years older than him.

I pulled on a white shear shirt to match the trousers before going to Adam's wardrobe and pulling out one of his golden robes. It was way too big for me but it was the closest thing I had to being wrapped up in his arms. It smelled like him and it was just wonderful to be engulfed in something that was his. It almost made me feel whole again, but not quite. I had to roll the sleeves up a lot more than I normally did for my own robes to get them up to my elbows, but I felt too comfortable in Adam's robe to take it off.

Tears touched my eyes as I pulled the box that held Adam's crown out of his wardrobe. He only wore it for extremely high-rise events, where he needed to show his dominance and his authority as Pharaoh of Egypt. I had a crown of my own and I only wore it when it was absolutely necessarily. Adam had it made for me after we were married and it matched the one piece of jewelry I never took off: my wedding ring.

Opening the box was almost too much for me to handle. This crown had always been a symbol of Adam but now it was a symbol of me and I wasn't really sure I was ready to accept that. I didn't want to be Pharaoh because I didn't think I could do it. Adam saw something in me that I never saw... But I also didn't want to be pharaoh because that meant that Adam was gone. He wasn't there with me and when I imagined having to part ways with Adam, I imagined that I was much older and I was cradling his head in my lap. He was supposed to live a happy, fruitful life before anything pulled us apart…

But here I was, twenty-seven, suddenly thrown into the leadership of an entire, powerful country and on the verge of being a widower. I was too damned young to be a widower!

Instead of going to breakfast like I should have, I slammed the lid down on the box and put the crown back into the wardrobe and I walked out onto the balcony that was off of our- my- bedroom. I could see for miles but nothing really seemed to jump out at me. Usually staring out at the city inspired me but now I was too depressed to even think about art. I couldn't create much when I was angry or upset. I had to be in a decent mood for the most part and if I did create something in such a horrible mood, it was usually something that no one would want to keep.

I leaned against the railing, tears slowly rolling down my cheeks. I turned around and suddenly wished I hadn't because the only thing my eyes could focus on was the beautiful and so very realistic painting I did of Adam when I first became his lover, all those years ago.

I fell back onto the railing, and it was a good thing, too, because without it, I would have collapsed to the floor or fallen from the balcony to my death. Tears cascaded down my face and I dropped my face into my hands, sobbing hard into my cupped and still aching palm. I didn't want to keep breaking down like this, especially not every single time I saw a picture of Adam, but I didn't know how to numb the aching in my heart. All I wanted to do was hop on a bike, drive to Persia and knock on the palace doors, demanding to see my husband. Honestly, at this point, I didn't care if they threw me in jail as long as I was in jail with him. Something told me that if I truly went to Persia, I wouldn't end up in jail with Adam. I would end up dead or we would both end up dead and what would that help? Then Egypt wouldn't even have a leader… But Adam and I would be in the Afterlife together… if our souls actually found peace after being viciously murdered in some wild and crazy act of war.

Oh my fucking Ra, my brain could not take all of this agony and stress. My heart already felt like it was bursting open and I was bleeding out internally. Now my brain was already running over overdrive and I hadn't even begun to learn anything about being a pharaoh. I knew some basics; just because I didn't have all the power, I was still the Pharaoh's husband. But now I needed to learn things that took most of Adam's childhood for him to learn. How was I supposed to just learn all of that overnight? I couldn't! But I had to because I needed to be strong for Egypt and for Adam…

I was in way over my head. Part of me wished that Adam hadn't made me his successor, but he did. Whether I was actually capable of accomplishing what he thought I could or not, I couldn't fail Adam… Well, I couldn't fail him without even trying to succeed. I had to put everything I had into being Pharaoh and finding Adam, but what exactly was everything I had? I didn't even know…

If anyone asked me how long I sat out on that balcony, crying my eyes out for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I would tell them I didn't know. But I knew I'd missed all of breakfast. I was reassured when I heard someone knocking on my bedroom door. I really didn't make any attempts to get up and answer it or call to whoever it was; I merely pulled my knees to my chest and wept into my thighs.

There was another knock a few moments later but I still didn't make any attempts to get up. A few seconds later, there was someone walking through my room, calling to me. I didn't recognize the voice at first, because I didn't even care about anything but Adam and my own heartache. I was probably a pathetic sight, but at the moment, I really just didn't care.

"Drake… Why are you out here all alone?" he asked and when I looked up, I saw Alexander standing there with a sad, worried look on his face.

"Go away, Alexander, you're the last person I want to talk to right now," I sniffled, turning away from him to look out across the city. I knew I was being a little harsh, but I wasn't over anything that happened yesterday, including my fight with him. I also didn't want to talk to anyone, not just him.

"Drake…" he whispered, walking over to me and kneeling down beside me. I had half a mind to order him to leave, but I couldn't bring myself to use that kind of Pharaoh-like power.

"I know you're angry with me," he muttered softly and put a hand down on my shoulder. "And I'm so sorry that I yelled at you last night… I shouldn't have. I was extremely out of place, I just felt like you wouldn't listen to me if I weren't shouting at you… I was wrong and I'm truly sorry, but I don't want you to think that I don't care about you. I know you're hurting and you're upset right now and I don't want to make that worse… I'm so sorry…"

Slowly, I turned to face him a little. "If I have to be Pharaoh now, I don't want to feel like my advisers are constantly belittling me. I was upset and emotional last night, but I wasn't going to just rush into a war. I don't want you to shout at me every time I say something that you don't agree with and, to be honest, you're probably going to disagree with me a lot because I have no idea what I'm doing. If I'm going to be Pharaoh, I need you to respect me, though, even when I'm wrong… I can't have you screaming at me like you did last night," I muttered to him, not making eye contact with him.

He nodded softly and slowly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm sorry Drake… I truly am, but locking yourself up in this room is not going to help anything. Please come out… Your mother, your siblings and your friends are worried sick about you. Tommy was even worried that because he left you to wake up alone, you might have done something as drastic as hurting yourself…"

"I'm not suicidal…" I said. "Life sucks right now but I realize that killing myself isn't going to make things better, it would just make everything worse, because then I would be alone in the Afterlife, Egypt wouldn't have a Pharaoh and Adam wouldn't have a lover… Not to mention, my mother would lose another child and my siblings would lose their oldest brother…"

"Well I'm truly relieved to hear that," he said softly, pressing a gentle kiss into my hair. "I'm sorry for yesterday, Drake. I love you… I just want to be here for you and help you as much as I can and I'm so sorry… I promise it won't happen again."

"What happened that changed your mind?" I asked quietly.

"Well Cassidy talked a lot of sense into me once you left and then I just needed to cool off. I realized I was completely wrong to act like that… Now I just want you to trust that I won't do that to you again and I want you to come out with me…" he said quietly. "Please?"

I nodded slowly and he helped me up from my fetal position. He kept his arm around my waist and started walking with me out of the room. "I'm sorry too, Alex…" I whispered, leaning into him.

"It's alright, Drake, you were right…" he muttered.


	128. Chapter 128

**Chapter Eleven: I Won't Let You Close Enough To Hurt Me  
Adam's POV**

Shoved forward, the black bag that had been tied over my head for what felt like an eternity was ripped free and I stumbled down to a hard, cold floor. I rolled, bumping into something hard and chilled, like metal, before groaning in discomfort. Even the faint light of the room I had been tossed into was too much and I had to shield my eyes until they adjusted. When I was able to see, I wished I hadn't.

The floor was made of concrete, covered in a layer of dirt, grime and suspicious stains that looked like dried blood. Gasping softly, I pulled myself up into a sitting position, glancing around the room. The walls were stone, also covered in grime. There was one wall that was nothing but metal bars, rusted in the corners with a sliding metal door. Opposite the bars, pressed against my back, was a metal and canvas cot with a dirty, stained pillow on top. There weren't any windows in the stone walls, and the only light trickling into the room were grime-covered ceiling lamps that only seemed to reach the middle of the walls with their light.

Whimpering softly, I crawled up onto the cot, wiping my knees and shins off of dust and something that was oddly wet and sticky. My heart was racing in my chest and I could feel my hands shaking as I clutched the pillow. I didn't know where I was or what day it could have been, but I knew that I wasn't in Egypt. The dungeons back in my palace weren't anywhere close to this condition. Sure, the luxuries were close to none, but at least they were clean.

I bit down on my bottom lip, drawing my knees up to my chest on the cot. I could hear distant shouts, scuffles and screeching noises, but nothing that sounded familiar. Swallowing the lump from my throat, I shivered a little, staring hard at the cell door that was only about ten feet from me.

In the back of my mind, my kidnapping kept replaying and rolling over itself in a loop. The hands, the shouts, the beating I took before falling and being injected with that serum. Hearing Drake calling out to me before the bag was thrown over my head and I was dragged from the chamber. I remembered that I tried fighting them off, tugging at them as much as I could. But I was weak, virtually immobile. I could do little more than shout at them, and even after a while they silenced me by hitting me on the back of the head.

Gods, how far away from home was I? A few hours? A few days? What if we had been on the road for weeks before I was finally brought here and dumped into this cell? Shivering again, I curled closer in on myself, whimpering softly as the lights in the hallway outside of the cell flickered a little. There was a loud crack down the hall followed by a scream of pain, and I trembled.

If I was here, where was Drake? Did he get out? Or did some of those awful men stay behind and… No. I couldn't.. I couldn't think like that. I heard them talk—they didn't go after him. They couldn't have. But if they hadn't, who was to say that no one else did? What if Drake was still stuck inside that room that he had fallen into?

"Gods…" I whispered, burying my face into my hands. I should never have taken Drake to the pyramids. I should have stayed in the palace with him; I should have taken him back to our bedroom after our late breakfast and spent the day making love to him. I shouldn't have…

"Well, well, boys… New arrival…" I heard a voice. I lifted my head quickly, staring with wide eyes across the short space to see three burly, young guards standing outside the bars. Each of them had their hair cropped short, buzz-like, almost. Two of them had green eyes, the third—and the one in the middle—had brown. They looked like they were each about six feet tall, packed with muscle and a scowl to match. I swallowed the lump from my throat as Mr. Brown Eyes leaned on the door of my cell.

"Oh.. Looks like we got ourselves some royalty!" He cheered and I winced, looking away from him. From my peripheral I could see him crack a wide and sinister smirk. "What's the matter? Missing your dusty, run down home?" I snarled softly to myself, clenching my jaw.

"Aww, man, this fucker's Egyptian!" One of the other's said, and I risked a glance back to them. Mr. Brown Eyes narrowed his glare on me, peering through the bars.

"So it would seem. Egyptian royalty—must be the Pharaoh, no doubt? Didn't Ezekiel say they snagged him under Emir's orders?" Emir? No… It couldn't be.

"Yeah, he did. He also said that there was a cute little brunette twink wearing some mighty fine jewels locked up in a secret room. Said he looked like a wild time, too…" I howled, lurching from the cot and launching myself at the bars. The three guards stepped back as I reached through cell door and swiped at them, snarling viciously.

"Oh-ho! We've got a fighter!" Brown Eyes cheered, smirking wildly back at me. I hissed, clenching the bars in my fists as tight as possible. As long as I was alive, I would not stand for anyone to speak about my husband in such a manner. He was not some guard's plaything. He was just as royal as I was, and anyone who laid an ill-mannered hand on him would pay.

"What's the matter, Pharaoh? Don't want anyone messing up your pretty whore?" I snarled, swiping at them again.

"Don't you talk about my husband that way!" I shouted back, watching their eyes widen some. Brown Eyes howled with laughter.

"So he's a cocksucking whore! Even better!" I gripped the bars tightly, growling and fuming at them from my place. Brown Eyes took a step forward, leaning close to stare me dead in the eye. "What's wrong, Pharaoh? Protective of your cocksucking slut? Or are you just a sad excuse for something threatening?" I swiped at him again, clawing his cheek with my nails.

"Fuck!" He shouted, reaching into the bars and grabbing at me. I stepped away, narrowly missing his fingers trying to curl around my throat. He hissed at me as the other two guards came to his side, pulling him away.

"Cool it, Derek," one of them said, tugging on his arm. Derek? He sounded like a douchebag. Derek stepped away from the metal bars, glaring harshly at me as he touched his cheek. There were faint scratch marks in his skin, one of them swelling with the slightest bit of blood. He touched them before staring at his fingers and snarling.

"Fucking bitch," Derek said, glaring at me. "Think you're all tough and shit, don't you? Think just because you're a fucking Pharaoh means you own and rule everything? Guess what, cocksucker—you're a nobody in this place! You're dog who's gonna be kicked to the ground until he learns a lesson!"

"Come on, Derek. He's not worth the time right now," one of the other guards said, tugging at Derek, but he didn't move. He continued to glare at me, and I right back at him. "Derek, come on. You can play with him later."

Derek pulled away from the bars, but not before spitting into my cell, muttering something about filthy Egyptians before walking off. I let out a heavy breath I hadn't realized that I had been holding since backing away from the cell. The weight of Derek's eyes penetrating mine was still hanging thick in the back of my mind, even as an hour or more had passed since the incident.

I hadn't realized that I was shaking until I looked down and saw my hands practically vibrating. Knotting them together in my lap, I leaned back against the wall of the cell, breathing as evenly as I possibly could. Emir… It couldn't have been the same Emir as that of the new king of Persia. We'd just had a council with them recently and we had agreed for peace. I'd shaken his hand and everything on the matter…

Closing my eyes I sighed heavily. Even still… The peace treaty could have been a cover. But why cover up the desire for war? Most people usually just started one. Then again, wars started on lies and hate. Maybe this was the first stage in war? But why start a war? What cause was there? Wars often started over an argument or a battle for land or wealth. Egypt and Persia thrived well enough on their own, why a war?

Groaning softly, I tucked my knees to my chest. Nothing was making sense. Why would Emir kidnap me? Was he hoping that, in doing so, he would start a war? Technically, it was possible. But if he was hoping to weaken Egypt's status by removing its Pharaoh, he should have taken Drake as well. I had it written into my will that if anything had happened to me—anything at all—Drake was to be Pharaoh. He would own the palace, the servants, wealth and everything. He would be Pharaoh. If Emir was trying to remove Egypt's Pharaoh, then he had failed.

Or maybe he had something else planned for Drake.

"Drake…" I whispered softly to myself. "Drake, baby, I'm so sorry…"

If Emir had something else planned for Drake, Egypt would be in dire need. Sure, Cassidy or Alexander could take over as Pharaoh, but they were just advisors. If Drake went missing as well, Egypt would have no true leader, due to the fact that Drake and I had not yet discussed who would succeed us once we were gone. Then again, though, we had been planning on having such a discussion when the time was most appropriate. We had not—and could not—have foreseen this…

As much as I didn't want to believe it, Emir of Persia was, no doubt, trying to start a war. In taking me, he had committed an act of treason against our treaty. If he had taken Drake as well, then Egypt would in terrible danger. The lives of my people would be at risk and everything my mother and father had worked for, and their families before them, would fall to ruin.

I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't let Egypt fall to darkness. I couldn't let anything happen to Drake. My baby had been through so much in such a short amount of time and he was young yet. I rested a hand over my heart, feeling tears stinging my eyes at the thought of him. Drake… He must be so scared right now. So lost and confused and hurt. The last time we had been separated it had been due to poison. I had fallen ill with it because Elijah tried to kill me. But, at least, then I was still with Drake. Not so much in true presence, but I was there. My body was. I was alive and he knew that. With me being here in Persia… He wouldn't know.

"Drake… Baby…" I whimpered softly, tucking my head into my arms on the tops of my knees. I shook softly, crying quietly. I should never have taken Drake to the pyramids. None of this would have happened. I wouldn't have been taken and Drake… Gods, was Drake even alive? Did he make it out of that room? Had anyone gone to look for him? Or had they forgotten and let him starve to death in that isolated chamber?

I coughed softly, feeling sick at the idea of Drake dying. He was too young… Far too young to pass. If anyone were to die, it would be me. Drake could defend me and say I had years yet, but my father had passed on in his forties. And he'd lived a good, long and prosperous life, short as it might have been. It would really be no different if I went. But not Drake. He had years ahead of him.

' _But without you, he might as well be dead. He's said it time and time again that he needs you to live. He always says he can't go on without you._ ' I bit my lip, forcing the thought away. I'd made it no secret that if Drake were to pass before me, I would gladly join him in the After on my own terms. I wouldn't want to wait. After the supposed death of Alexander, I couldn't lose Drake. It would be too much. But he was young yet… He had years of life and love ahead of him… He could survive without me.

At least… I had to hope that he could.


	129. Chapter 129

**Chapter Twelve: Living On the Edge, Living On the Edge  
Cassidy's POV**

Adam had been gone for almost a month now and every day Drake looked like his heart broke just a little bit more. He was wearing more makeup to cover up the dark circles that had formed under his eyes, and the worry lines were starting to define themselves in Drake's beautiful face. By no means did he look old, no, he was still young; he was vibrant and made a statement every time he entered a room, but if you saw him removing his makeup at night, you could see just how broken he was. He was a beautiful young Pharaoh missing his other half and there was nothing more depressing than seeing Drake falling apart.

He was actually very good at hiding how crushed he really was. He felt like life had just kicked him in the groin and kept kicking him down so he just didn't have a chance to get back up, but he acted like he ruled the world. He managed to carry the image of Pharaoh quite well, but juggling all of his responsibilities while also trying to find Adam was proving to be quite a challenge for him. More often than not, I found him zoning out in meetings, or just tuning everything out. He only looked like he was paying attention in all of the meetings we had with our ally countries and messengers from Persia.

They admitted that Adam was in Persia and they repeatedly came up with excuses like "we don't know his exact location and even if we did, we couldn't simply give him back to you. He's trespassed onto our territory and that can't go unnoticed." Politically they were covering their asses with all the bull shit they were coming up with, but in truth, they were bending the truth enough to make it seem like they weren't in the wrong and there wasn't much we could do to prove that they were lying, short of invading Persia. Drake, Alexander and I all decided that negotiation was the best way to go about the situation and that invading Persia would only cause a war and a lot of unneeded deaths.

So far, negotiations were not proceeding very well. Drake was desperate to get his lover back and he was willing to offer just about anything in his power to give. Of course we didn't start off offering so much, but each proposal was turned down by Persia's king, Emir. Honestly, I was beginning to hate that bastard, but starting a war with Persia was definitely not smart. I had no doubt that we could win a war with Persia but it would be devastating to their country as well as ours… The causalities would be unbelievable, and that would probably result in the murder of Adam…

However, we couldn't ignore that them holding Adam hostage (whether they would admit to that or not) was an act of war, and if negotiating didn't start to turn around soon, things were going to end badly. Drake was about ready to have Emir murdered in his sleep with some super secret agents or something and if Emir didn't start cooperating, I was fearing what Drake might resort to doing.

Something deep in the pit of my heart, I had a dreadful feeling that Emir would not give up Adam, no matter how many things we offered him.

Today was just another meeting with a few delegates from our allied countries to discuss possibilities to get Adam back should negotiation fail. All of the men were suggesting anything they could think of that would possibly avoid war, like having someone pose as a new Persian soldier and guard to the king and secretly searching for Adam. However we all knew that if negotiations did fail, war was almost unavoidable. All of the delegates agreed that they would back us up till the end and they would fight alongside us if it came down at that, but they made it very clear that they wanted to avoid that at all costs, except for the cost of Adam's life, that is.

About half way through the meeting, I noticed that distant, longing look that often filled Drake's brilliant blue eyes. It was a look of passion and needing for his lost lover, but I came to associate that look with the fact that Drake wasn't truly paying attention to what was being discussed or what was happening around him. He would turn his head to whoever was taking and he'd nod or make "mhm" sounds to make it seem like he was paying attention, but I knew better. Everyone thought he was intent in the conversation, but he wasn't fooling me. I'd have to have a serious discussion with him when we weren't in front of half a dozen national leaders. I couldn't let them know that Drake was zoning out, thinking of his long lost lover…

When the meeting let out, we really weren't any closer to solving our issues. Our allies agreed to give us money and treasures to offer Emir, and we were grateful but we had enough jewels and money to last for a thousand negotiations. More money didn't really seem to improve our situation. Emir wasn't very interested in money, it seemed. We'd offered him millions and that wasn't enough…

The meeting dispersed and Drake was expected to join the other leaders for dinner, but I kept Drake back before he could follow the others for dinner. "Drake," I said quietly, slapping his arm hard enough to sting but not enough to leave a mark or anything.

"Ow! What the fuck, Cassidy?!" he hissed, turning on me. He looked like he wanted to be angry, but dwelling on Adam just made him so miserable, that he just didn't have the energy to be angry with me.

"I'm sorry, Drake, but you needed to stop this. I understand that being without Adam is depressing and it's hard for you to deal with but you can't just not pay attention in these meetings! They're important if we're going to get your husband back safely!" I exclaimed. Alex came up next to us, looking like he agreed with me but he probably didn't approve of me slapping the young Pharaoh. I realized that wasn't the greatest idea, but Drake _needed_ to understand that these meetings were important for us, especially him, and he needed to pay attention and participate.

"I'm sorry, Cassidy, I'm trying, okay?! I'm sorry that I'm not a perfect pharaoh but I don't exactly know how to be one!" Drake exclaimed and his eyes were shining with moisture. I prayed that he wasn't going to start crying, because then I would just feel like a huge asshole, but Drake needed to understand that he had to take these meetings seriously. "But these meetings aren't helping anyway. It's all basically 'we'll give you more money to offer Emir' and 'we really want to avoid war'. Okay, well you and I both know that money isn't going to get us out of this! And I understand no one wants a war, I don't want that either, but we may not have any other choice! Why do I need to pay attention when none of them are coming up with any other suggestions other than what has been discussed in the last ten meetings! They aren't helping, so please get off my back and stop lecturing me. And don't hit me again!"

Alex reached out to him and kissed him gently, trying to calm him down. "Drake, please relax…" he said quietly, holding the boy in his arms. "Cassidy isn't made or angry or anything, he'd just trying to make you understand how serious this is. Our allies can help us get Adam back…" Drake had gone rigid half way through Alexander's attempt to calm him and that worried me greatly.

Drake pulled out of Alex's hold and pushed him away. "You don't need to tell me how serious this is, Alexander. Trust me, there is no one who is taking this more seriously than I am. In case you forgot, my whole other half is missing! I don't think this is some sort of joke, so both of you please just shut up. When those people start saying things that will actually help, I'll start listening." Drake was fuming now, but he still looked more miserable than angry. The poor boy just couldn't live happily without Adam being there. They hadn't been separated physically for more than a few days since they were married…

"Drake, honey…" I said quietly, reaching out to gently take his shoulders into my grasp. "We know you understand and we know you're trying… I just… I'm asking you to make more of an effort to pay attention in these meetings? I know it seems like they aren't helping and maybe they aren't but these people are the only close allies we have that are willing to help us. I know it's not easy, honey, no one's saying it is… But you need to be the best you can be for all of us… For Adam…"

Once those last two words left my lips, I wished I could have just sucked them back up because several tears broke free of Drake's ducts and rolled down his cheeks like a perfect portrait.

A moment later, Alex hit me a lot harder than I had hit Drake. I was sure it would be bruised by tomorrow morning. "Way to go, Cass," he hissed at me and he pulled Drake into his arms again, hugging the boy tightly. "Drake, baby, Cassidy isn't trying to upset you, okay? We know how hard this is for the rest of us. It's even worse for you, we know… Trust us, it isn't easy to see you so depressed and upset. We don't want to make that any worse… I know we're asking a lot of you, but I also know that if there is anyone strong enough to make it through this, it is you."

"Oh yeah right, I'm just a kid who doesn't know what the fuck he's doing," he replied, tears streaming his face. "Adam only put this in his will because he's so in love with me. We all know I can't do this. That's why Cassidy just hit me, because I'm an awful pharaoh. I'd rather Adam left one of you in charge, I really do. Maybe I should just put one of you in charge… It'd probably be better for everyone."

"No… Drake, no, don't say that…" I said quietly. "Adam didn't leave all of this to you because he's so madly in love with you. He left all of this to you because you've lived through more than most people and you're strong enough to make it through this. You're brave and for not having all the teachings Adam had to be pharaoh, you're doing a great job… You really are. I'm not just saying that. You're pharaoh because you should be… Because you have what it takes to pull through. I know you don't believe that, but it's true…" I reached over to put a comforting hand on Drake's shoulder.

He pulled back enough so he could actually look at us and he pushed his tears away from his face, some of his makeup smearing across his eyes. "If you really want me to believe that, you need to stop belittling me and stop lecturing me on what I am and am not supposed to do…" he said quietly. "Because if I can't make any decisions on my own, then you might as well take my title from me now."

"We're sorry Drake… We aren't trying to belittle you, we're just trying to help you, that's all…" Alex said quietly. "But we have been a little… aggressive with you lately and we're sorry, especially for Cassidy hitting you. We all want the same thing here, okay?"

"Okay… Can you go to the dinner without me? Just tell them I'm feeling under the weather or something? I don't want to deal with them anymore tonight. I'm just… too tired," Drake requested and while we didn't like the idea of him not showing up to the dinner he was supposed to be hosting, we nodded.

"Go lay down, baby, we'll take care of everything for you," Alex promised and Drake nodded, tears still pooling and barely clinging to his eyes.

It broke my heart to see Drake so depressed and kicked down…


	130. Chapter 130

**Chapter Thirteen: How Did It End Up Like This?**

 **Drake's POV**

Months went by. I wanted to stop counting them, stop counting days, hours, minutes, _seconds_ , even. I wanted to stop the clock that was ticking away inside of my head, reminding me that more and more time was passing, wasting. More time between myself and Adam. More time lost between us. More, more, more…

With this pestering clock, there were the underlying fears that I tried so desperately to suppress. Was Adam alright? Was he in grave danger? Was he being tortured? Were they feeding him at all? Were they keeping him, at least, decently healthy? All of these thoughts, these Godforsaken whispers in my ear constantly bombarded my mind and my heart. They would sit in wait, murmuring like a devil whenever I was alone for a moment.

But these whispers were not the worst things that I'd heard or feared. No, they couldn't hold candles to my true horrors. My dreams— _my dreams_ —were what truly plagued me. With the whispers, there were only soft sounds and shreds of doubt. Tiny annoyances that you could push away and ignore. But dreams… Dreams lingered long after they'd been dreamt. They hung around like a cloud of death, detailed enough to almost seem like a memory. Too painful to push away.

My dreams had become all variations of one another. And they all had similar traits and one common factor: my beloved, Adam, and some unspeakable horror being wrought upon him. In the first few months of Adam's absence, they had all been the same, for the most party. I would often been trapped in that room, the one I'd gotten myself locked into, helpless as I watched those men beat him and take him away. Sometimes the men were faceless, other times they looked like the guards and messengers from Persia. There was even one instance where I'd dreamt that Bradley was the head soldier, viciously torturing my husband before dragging him away.

Similar to that scenario, I had dreamt of anther place; the inside of a dirty, grimy and dark cell. Persian guards were beating and kicking at Adam, sneering and calling out such awful names to him. They told him that no one was coming for him. That no one was going to save him. That he would forever be a slave to Emir and that his beloved Egypt would fall to ruin. Sometimes, they even told him I'd died at his loss, and that he had nothing left…

This, however, was not the worst of my dreams.

As the time passed, though, my dreams began to change again. At first, they were simple; Adam would stand by the fountain where we were married, unable to see, hear, or acknowledge my presence. No matter how hard I pushed at him or tried to make him understand that I was there, he was frozen, his fingers twirling through the water of the fountain.

Recently, though, they'd all been the same. Exactly the same. I would be lying in my bed, dressed in one of Adam's robes, grieving as always for him. Suddenly, he would appear. He would come to the side of the bed, dressed in the attire that I had last seen him in. He would be beautiful, just so beautiful, as he climbed onto the bed to join my side, and he would wrap his great, big arms around me, safe and warm. He would kiss my hair and sing to me. Oh, Gods, he would sing the most beautiful songs to me. Sometimes they would be in English and sometimes they would be in our ancient Arabic. A lot of the times, I found myself enjoying the Arabic verses more.

But he would sing to me, regardless. His voice would be soft, pure, gentle and warm as I'd always remembered it to be. And he would smile that smile he gets whenever he looked at me. That kind of smile that breaks your heart from how utterly in love it is. Adam would sing and smile and hold me like he never went away. Like he never vanished from my life at all.

We would talk a little, Adam and I. Mostly, though, I would cry in his arms for how happy I was to see him again. And he would start crying too, after a while. He always cried when I professed my love in Egypt's native language. "Ana bhebeek," I would say, softly at first, before nearly screaming it at him. I would cling so tightly that it was often a wonder that I didn't hurt him in my dreams. "Ana bhebeek, ana bhebeek!" I would repeat it, over and over, I would repeat these words, this love, and Adam would just cry as we clung to one another.

And he would say it back to me. "Ana bhebeek," he would whisper against my lips as he kissed me. His tears would mix with mine against our mouths and on our tongues and he would keep whispering back to me. "Ana bhebeek…"

At that point, I would wake, alone, with tears streaming down my face, my voice and my throat painfully raw from screaming so much in my sleep. And the pain would be so overwhelming, so all-consuming that I can never help but to wail in agony. I cannot fight it. I cannot even hope to suppress it in the slightest against the pillows or the fabric of Adam's robes. I am frozen, facing the ceiling, facing the walls, facing any part of our bedroom while I wailed in agony.

Just last night, I'd had such a dream. I screamed at Adam, howling at him how much I loved him and wanted him back. And he'd said it so softly back to me that it was almost silent. I woke up in pure, raging pain and grief, and I couldn't stop the pained sobs and shrieks that tore from my lips. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I physically couldn't. And, so, I lied helpless, tangled in the mess of blankets and Adam's robes as the walls echoed with my pathetic misery.

I stayed in bed for a long while after that. I had no energy to move, no will to exist amongst my family and friends. I couldn't even lift my arms, even if I wanted to. The pain and exhaustion that was tearing at my chest, ripping open a black hole had left me drained. Part of me longed to go back to sleep and to, by chance, regain some of the lost motivation. But sleep meant more of this dream, of this pain. Sleep threatened me more than once, but then the image of Adam, crying and whispering "ana bhebeek" startled me back into conscious thought.

No. I could not go back to sleep.

Eventually, I managed to pull myself from the empty comforts of the bed. My body felt sticky and warm, exhaustion and something like nausea made my head spin in a slow, sloppy circle. I groaned quietly, pressing a warm palm to my damp face. I felt hot to the touch, sweat along my brow and nearly dried tears on my cheeks. I pushed myself to the edge of the bed, and I tried to slip off and stand. But my knees buckled and I collapsed to the floor, clinging to the blankets as my head swam in a murky pool of congestion and exhaustion.

I was faintly aware of a soft knock at the door, and a muffled groan sounded from my lips. The door clicked as the edges of my vision blurred with darkness. At first there was nothing, but then a gasp from someone else fluttered through my senses and a rush of footsteps drew near to me. Gentle hands fathered me up and lifted me to my feet. I swayed, clinging to the figure. I didn't need to look to see that it was Tommy at my side.

"Gods, Drake.. you look like hell," he said softly, and I snorted weakly.

"Good morning to you, too," I mumbled. From my peripheral I could see that Tommy was frowning a little.

"Morning? Drake… it's almost four in the afternoon. You've been in bed since early last night." I frowned deeply, looking over at him. His brown eyes were deeply concerned and I sighed softly, looking away from him.

"Oh. Why was I not woken sooner?" I asked, pulling away, straightening out the robe on my slim figure. Tommy folded his hands together in front of him.

"Hiei came in earlier, but you wouldn't budge, so he let you sleep. I came back to check on you, myself, because there are Persian messengers here, and they desire an audience with you."

I groaned softly, running my fingers through my hair. These meetings never went well, and for obvious reasons. Nothing we offered, of value or not, to King Emir was accepted. He had no interest in any more money or land expansion, but he didn't specify what he wanted, either. He was unclear in his demands and never gave into the one request I've had of him: to have Adam back in my arms, safe, sound, and alive.

"Tell them I do not wish to speak with them. Tell them Emir can shove his gifts up his ass." I growled, going to the vanity before slumping down into the seat. Sighing, I rummaged through the drawers before finding the empty box from the black hair dye I'd used on Adam's hair months ago. Staring at me made me want to break down again, so I slammed the door shut.

"I can't do that, Drake. Normally, I would, in a heartbeat, because I completely agree with you. However… this is different," the tone in Tommy's voice worried me, and I looked at him through the mirror, rubbing foundation into my cheeks and under my eyes. "They have someone with them—it's not Adam… But… Just, come, please?"

Dressing in clean clothes, I pulled on a fresh robe of Adam's, one with gold detailing and deep red fabric, before strapping on my sandals. I walked to the door, Tommy right on my heels as I pushed open the door. The hallways were bright with the afternoon sun and heat soaked through the robe. I felt warm, but chills were racing down my spine. Emir had sent someone? Who? And why not Adam if he was going through the trouble of sending a person?

Tommy followed close behind me for a while before catching up, walking in a matched pace beside me. I stared ahead, watching the walls blow by in a blur of color and stone before the double doors of the throne room came into view. I brought my hands up, pushing them both open before striding into the room, not breaking in step for a moment. Two Persian guards lifted their heads, looking over at me. Between them was a man, and in front of them was the messenger I'd seen and met with so many times before.

"What is this?" I asked, motioning to the man between the two guards. As I drew closer, I realized he wasn't really a man. He looked to be no older than me, with a wide strip of cropped blond hair stretching from the top of his forehead to the back of his head, touching the top of his neck. His eyes were cast down, his lids dusted in smoky gray powder and black eyeliner. His cheeks were dusted in a soft pink and his lips painted heavily in red. Piercings clung to both of his ears, and his strong, lithe form was dressed in a sheer red top and tight red shorts. I knew, immediately, that he was a pleasure slave.

"King Emir sends his apologies that he could not comply to your request, he does hope, sincerely, that you will enjoy this exotic gift," the messenger motioned to the man and the slave was pushed forward. His wrists were bound with a thin white rope, bangles and jewels clinking softly. I glowered at them.

"He dare denies me my husband and, instead, sends me a _pleasure servant_?!" I seethed, clenching my hands into fists. The pleasure servant remained motionless, his fists hanging below his shirt.

"If Your Grace does not find the gift satisfying, we will gladly return it to King Emir," the messenger said as the two guards clapped hands on the servant. I watched as the boy flinched and whined ever so softly, looking utterly terrified. His eyes found mine in fear, a plea washing through their soft blue depth. My heart clenched painfully. I knew that look. It was the look, the dread, of an abused servant. One who'd been taken advantage of more than once.

"No," I said harshly, and the servant bowed his head, shaking between the two guards. "No. I will keep him. But know that King Emir does not have my thanks in this matter. He will never have my gratitude until my husband is returned. You tell him that. Now go." I hissed. The messenger bowed and the two guards let the servant go. The three of them turned and vanished through the door, leaving me in silence with Tommy and the servant.

Sighing, I walked forward to the servant boy, taking note to how badly he was shaking as I reached out. I untied the rope from his wrists, glancing at the burnt red flesh of his wrists beneath. They couldn't even treat my "gift" with care…

"What's your name?" I asked gently. He didn't raise his head.

"Sauli." I nodded, gently lifting his hand with a hand. His eyes met mine for a moment before he looked away.

"You don't need to be afraid, Sauli… I didn't keep you for pleasure. I kept you so that you wouldn't have to be afraid. I know you won't understand that, or even believe it, but… know that you won't be harmed, alright?" Sauli lifted his gaze back to mine, searching before nodding slowly.


	131. Chapter 131

**Chapter Fourteen: This Is a Whole New Perspective  
Sauli's POV**

Travelling from Persia to Egypt with King Emir's guards wasn't very pleasurable, since all four of them were men who had used me for their sexual satisfaction in the past and one in particular, Derek, liked to use me all the time. He was none too gentle about it either, so, of course, he forced me to have sex with him every single night in his tent while we were travelling to Egypt.

It was a rather long trip…

But I wasn't nearly as afraid of the guards who were taking me to Egypt, as I was of the man I was being delivered to: the Pharaoh of Egypt. I had heard nothing but good things about both Pharaoh Adam and his husband, but that didn't necessarily mean they were great people. Being a fantastic leader and a fantastic person were two separate things and even if Pharaoh Drake was humble and only wanted his husband, once he saw me, he would probably change his mind and use me however he pleased… It was how they all ended up.

When we finally reached Egypt and I was pulled into the palace's throne room, I was shocked at just how young and beautiful Pharaoh Drake was. He wasn't more than a few years older than me and his hair was a beautiful crimson, the bangs and edges freshly dyed in a shining gold and, for a moment, I wondered if the gold was actually real melted gold mixed into hair dye. It wouldn't have surprised me much at all. However, behind his beautiful hair, makeup and natural beauty, I could see how tired and anguished he really was. Maybe my fears of him had been wrong after all…

It was also a huge shock to see the Pharaoh get so upset over King Emir sending him a pleasure servant as a sort of peace offering. I didn't really believe in love because every person I'd ever come in contact with only seemed to care about sex and power. I assumed that the world was the same and that no one truly was in love with one other person, their "soul mate" as some people might call it. Perhaps I had been wrong after all…

But when Derek grabbed me and said he would return me to Persia, I wanted to be sick. I could already feel his oversized cock slamming into me with no prep and no lubricant, tearing cry after cry from my throat with every last thrust. The shock that I actually wanted to stay in Egypt shouldn't have been so surprising because I had been so terrified of the Pharaoh ever since I had found out that King Emir was going to give me away.

Now I turned my eyes to the Pharaoh of Egypt, staring at him with pleading eyes. I didn't want to go back to Persia with Derek… I used to believe he loved me and all he truly cared about was making me scream and writhe beneath him. I couldn't go back and spend my entire life being his fuck toy, when I wasn't pleasing the rest of the palace, that is…

Eventually, however, Pharaoh Drake agreed to keep me but when the Persian guards were gone, I was still tense with worry. Pharaoh approached me slowly, his look of anger and the want to just tear into Derek had vanished from his face, leaving him looking more depressed than anything else, but I wasn't entirely sure if I was reading him right. I didn't know anything about him, after all. I didn't have enough information about him to read his emotions accurately.

"What is your name?" he asked quietly once he stopped in front of me, standing at exactly the same height as me.

"S-Sauli…" I said quietly, glancing away from him. Suddenly my fear of the Pharaoh had returned and I couldn't even begin to understand my feelings in this. One minute I don't want to go to Egypt because I'm terrified that the Pharaoh will be just like King Emir. Then the Pharaoh refuses me because he doesn't want me and I'm silently pleading with him to let me stay because I didn't want to be used by Emir's horrible guards anymore. Now I'm back to being terrified of the Pharaoh? What the Hell?

 _You have every right to be afraid of him, Sauli, just relax a little but don't let your guard down…_ Hopefully I could take my own advice.

"Sauli…" Pharaoh said, smiling faintly but there was very little happiness in his face. I imagined that if he smiled when he was truly happy, he would have been gorgeous enough to make any straight man yearn for him. "That's a very beautiful name," he told me and I blushed a little despite myself. I hoped he wanted coming onto me…

"Thank you, M-my Pharaoh…" I replied respectfully but I couldn't help but wonder if he was really "my" Pharaoh. I wasn't Egyptian… Not yet anyway. I supposed if I lived in his palace, he was My Pharaoh.

"Actually… it's just Drake," he told me, sighing softly. "I have enough people calling me Pharaoh and honestly I'm kind of tired of it." He looked me in the eye, searching me in silence for a while and I wanted to look away but I just couldn't defy him… "Listen, I know you are probably afraid of me and suddenly being thrown into my palace," he started, keeping his tone gentle and almost sweet. "Emir sent you to me as a pleasure servant but, to tell you the truth, I don't want or need a pleasure servant… The only person I want to have sex with is my husband and… right now he's not here, so I don't want to be with anyone else, whether it's just sex or really for love. Sauli, I'm sure it will take you a while to feel comfortable here, but you have nothing to fear from me, all right?"

I never expected to hear something like that come out of the Pharaoh's mouth. I always expected him to take me to his bedroom and force me to my knees so I could blow him. I never, in a million years, believed that he would tell me he didn't want to keep me for having sex with him, that he flat out didn't want sex from me period. And before I knew what was happening, I tossed myself forward the few feet that separated us and I hugged him tight, pressing myself to him for a while. He seemed frozen for a moment and I realized that it was probably the most inappropriate thing I could have done, but before I could pull away, he hugged me gently. He didn't hold me tight to him or tight at all, really, he just put his arms around me loosely and that was all.

"I'm sorry, My Phar- Drake…" I said quietly, pulling myself away from him slowly. "I shouldn't have hugged you like that, I just… no one has ever been so kind to me. No one has ever told me that I don't have to be their bed slave and… I just… thank you, so much."

Drake smiled at me again. "You're welcome," he said quietly. "Like I said, I know it'll take a while for you to be comfortable here, but you have nothing to fear. I require nothing from you. I'll provide you with food, clothing and a place to stay until you decide you wish to leave, but you're free here." I shook a little, just out of complete shock and awe. Perhaps Drake really was as great as everyone said. "Come, I'll take you to one of the guest rooms. You can pick one out for yourself." He pulled his robes close to his body, as if he were cold despite the desert heat and he turned, walking out of the throne room and I followed after him.

"You really love you husband, don't you?" I asked him quietly and he glanced over at me with shocked and curious eyes. "I'm sorry… Gosh, I usually don't cross so many lines like this, I'm sorry…"

"No, no, Sauli, you're fine. I… I do love my husband very much. I miss him terribly and I only pray that he's still alive and, at least, healthy," he said quietly, a sort of agonizing sadness filling his eyes. "I want nothing more than to have him back in my arms… Why do you ask?"

"Well… When I found out I was being sent to you as a gift, I was rather afraid of you, to be honest. I thought you would use me like so many others have, but you don't want that at all. You're so committed to your husband it's shocking. I didn't know love like that existed… So many guards in Persia only spoke about how much of a whore you were and that the only reason Pharaoh Adam married you was because you would put out for him even when no one else would… I know that they were just making up cruel, rude rumors now, but before I didn't," I told him honestly. "I'm just so shocked that a ruler of a country can be so caring and sincere… I'm so sorry that King Emir has done this to you."

"Well, thank you very much, Sauli. I'm glad that I could prove your expectations wrong," he said quietly, giving me a gentle smile and I nodded gently, walking with him in silence. I couldn't believe how huge this palace really was. Emir's palace was big but this? This was just magnificently over the top and it was decorated with so many beautiful paintings and sculptures. The whole place was so completely beautiful and wonderfully decorated and I was paying so much attention to the details of the palace, I didn't notice just how far we had been walking.

"He is alive…" I finally said to break the tension and awkward silence that had fallen over us. He looked over at me with curious eyes. "Your husband, I mean… I had the honor of meeting him once. He's alive, in the dungeons of King Emir's palace. He's not having an easy time, though… He's holding on and I believe he will hold on for as long as he has to, but they don't treat him well at all… When I saw him, he was rather sick…" I wondered if I should have been so honest with him, because he looked even more upset, but he needed to know.

"Thank you for telling me…" Drake said softly, a faint quiver to his voice. I wondered if he was close to crying because he looked like he could just break down in the hall, but he took me to a door and opened it, revealing a beautifully decorated room with a gorgeous mural on the wall. "I will have a fresh wardrobe delivered to you in the morning, all right? For now, I'll let you get settled in. There's a fully stocked bathroom joining your room."

"My room…? My Gods, I've never had my own room before…" I said but I didn't mean to let it slip from my tongue.

"I hope you enjoy it. I'll come to get you for dinner in a few hours and tomorrow I'll take you on a tour of the palace so you know your way around. My advisers and family will love to get to know you and they'll want to make you feel right at home. Feel free to relax or wander… Whatever you would like to do. I'll be back here at six so we can go to dinner," he told me quietly.

"Thank you My Phar- Drake, thank you so much," I thanked him and he smiled, mumbling a soft 'of course' before he disappeared down the hall, leaving me to my new room. I decided to take a bath to freshen up since I hadn't really gotten a decently wash since I left Persia. The wardrobe had a few plain white and green outfits inside for guests, I assumed, so I washed up, taking a long, calming bath before I dressed in the slightly too big clothes. It was only four in the afternoon though and I didn't want to lay around for two hours with nothing to do, so I decided to explore a little before dinner.

I slowly left the room, making my way down the hall Drake had gone. Occasionally I would walk into a room. I found a few small studies and an art studio that was completely covered in murals. I wondered who was the artist in the palace because whoever it was, they were really, really talented. I'd wandered into the gardens for a while, looking at all of the beautiful fountains and plants, but I was afraid it was getting late, so I went to find my room again.

On the way in, I passed one beautiful set of double doors that were carved in a bunch of hieroglyphs that I couldn't actually understand, but it was curious enough to draw me in, so I walked across the hall and slowly pushed one of the doors open, closing it behind me quietly. The room was dark, with heavy curtains pulled over the large windows on the other side of the room. I didn't even notice the bed in the center of the room because about half of the room was sunken into the floor, making the bed blend into the floor rather than stand out.

It was only when I heard the sweetest, saddest moan I'd ever heard, I looked down at the bed, seeing the Pharaoh curled up in the same golden robe he'd been wearing early. He had his knees pulled up a little and his eyes were closed, tears clinging to his face. One hand was curled around a rather shockingly large erection (for someone of his size, I wouldn't have expected him to be as big as he was, he made me feel down right puny). His other hand was fisted into his hair, tugging lightly on it as whimpers and sobs fell from his lips.

He didn't seem to notice me at all, but once ever few moments, I could hear him choking on a name, his husband's name and watching him was the most… beautiful and the most heartbreaking thing I had ever seen. Part of me wanted to turn and leave before he noticed me. I would hate to anger or upset him after he was so nice to me… I hadn't seen his angry side, really, other than when he yelled at the guards and I didn't want his fury to be directed at me. But the other part of me wanted to go to him and comfort him.

I only stood there and watched him for a while, but eventually I made my way down to his bed and crawled up onto it carefully. He never even opened his eyes to look at me. I wondered if he was just so lost in himself that he had absolutely no idea that I was there.

Slowly, I climbed up behind him, wrapping an arm around him gently. I pressed a few fingers to my lips and I licked them until they were dripping with my saliva and then I dropped my hand between his thighs. I couldn't even begin to believe how beautiful he was. His skin was silky smooth and tanned with the Egyptian sun, but he was paler than most Egyptians.

Drake quivered a little, curling up a little. "Adam…" he whispered, his eyes still screwed shut. I bit my lip, not wanting to pull him from his hallucination so I slowly slipped my middle finger into him, just wanting to help him with his heartbreak, even if just a little. He whined quietly but he was so lost in whatever sort of fantasy he drew up for himself, he might have believed Adam was the one fingering him.

I pumped my finger in and out gently a few times before pushing in a second, scissoring him and drawing the most beautiful cry from his lips. If he wasn't so heartbroken and so against having a pleasure servant, I might have really enjoyed fucking him… He didn't really seem like the type to dominate too often… Eventually my fingers brushed against that special sweet spot within the Pharaoh and he curved away from me in a perfect bow, choking on his tears and pleasure.

He was so beautiful…

I rubbed my fingers into the spot until Drake came in his hand, his ass tightening to an almost virginal tightness around my fingers and I moaned, ignoring my own ache in my jeans.

"Oh Ra, Adam…" he mumbled quietly, gripping the sheets next to him. My heart cracked a little. I just felt so bad for him. I'd never seen someone so in love and Adam was rotting away in a cell that Drake couldn't get to…

I pulled my fingers out of him carefully and pulled myself from the bed all together, but before I could leave, Drake was sitting up in his bed, holding a blanket in front of him to cover himself. "Sauli?" he asked quietly, blinking away tears. "Why did you just…?" There was a blush on his face and he seemed rather embarrassed and maybe even felt a little guilty for having someone who wasn't Adam touch him and for allowing me to do something so sexual to him when he said he didn't want a pleasure servant but I knew that he was so lost in his memories of Adam, he had no idea I was the one touching him. "I told you I didn't want a pleasure servant…"

"I know, Drake and I'm sorry… I was exploring a little and I walked in on you and… I'm so sorry, but seeing you like that was just so heartbreaking… I just wanted to help," I said quietly. "And sex is just what I'm used to. I didn't know what else to do… I won't do it again if you don't want me to, I just wanted to give you some sort of satisfaction…"

"That's very… sweet…" he said to me. "But you don't need to do this for me… I'm sorry you had to see me like this, I thought I locked the door…" I nodded gently. "You don't need to take care of me though. I appreciate this but I don't want you to feel like you need to take care of me…"

He didn't need to tell me he felt guilty.


	132. Chapter 132

**Chapter Fifteen: Does Anybody Know What We Are Living For?**

 **Adam's POV**

I had all but lost track of the month. I could no longer discern whether it was day or night since there were no windows that led to the outside. Even if there were windows, it wouldn't have mattered much. While the memory of it was obscure and hazy, I could remember being brought down stairs. So many stairs.

But I had not lost track of days, that I made sure of. Like any cliché cell, I had found a small stone in the corner of the room, and had since my arrival etched into the wall beside my cot the number of days I'd spent in this place. I never needed to recount them, either, for the number was engraved into my heart like an inkless tattoo. One-hundred, twenty-three. One-hundred, twenty-three days I'd been here.

I laid upon my cot, still dressed in the same attire that I'd worn when I was brought here. Since then, though, my sandals and my jewels had been stripped away, pawned off and traded amongst the guards. I had, however, managed to hold onto the ear cuff that was gifted to me from Hiei, my mother's necklace, and a ring that Drake had given to me a few years back. The fabric of my trousers was stained in dirt, sweat, and spots of blood. My shirt was torn apart so terribly that its only purpose now was to be torn, further, into strips and used as bandages.

Facing the wall, I stared in silence at the etches I'd created. Tally marks, grouped in fives; there were almost twenty-five of them, just shy by two marks. I sighed softly before reaching out to touch them. One-hundred, twenty-three days being holed up in this place without any knowledge of Egypt or my love. Only what the guards so often sneered into my cell as they walked past. Most of them said that Drake had moved on, believing that I had died or would never return. Other said he was suffering such heartache that he couldn't rule Egypt at all, and that he would let it fall to ruin.

I didn't believe any of it, for they were all lies, and I knew that. All pointless lies, use to hurt me and make me weak. But these were not the worst. Sometimes the silences were just as bad. Sometimes they went as far as to spin off ridiculous tales about him moving on or falling into a great chasm of grief. Some stories were that they'd seen him seated sensually in the throne upon the laps of my advisors. Other stories were of him wallowing in self-pity upon the open floor.

I believed the tales of Drake being with Cassidy and Alex, but not for the reasons that they spoke of. Cassidy and Alex were, no doubt, comforting Drake in my absence. But they would never take advantage of him, and he would never sleep with them in place of me. Drake wasn't that kind of person.

I pushed the thoughts away, curling up tighter into a ball on my cot. Shivers raced down my spine and I rubbed my nose, wiping away congestion. I'd come down with a light sickness; the poor conditions and meager food had been an unhealthy substitute to the life that I had been living before this, and I'd fallen ill so many times that I'd all but lost count. Not being able to bathe on a regular basis certainly wasn't helping my condition any, either.

I glanced down at my hands, staring at the fresh cuts, the scabs and the healed over scars. Sometimes the guards would come in and beat me for no reason, and in order to shield myself, I would cover my face and head with my hands and arms. Similar marks scattered their way up the pale and sweat flesh of my arms and shoulders. And, though I could not see it, I knew my back was a war zone of similar abuse.

I'd never been on the receiving end of a flogger's tip before this, and I knew that I would never find a drop of pleasure in the use of one ever again.

Trembling lightly, I coughed softly to clear my throat and relieve myself of the tickle that was torturing me. My voice was torn apart from shouting, screaming and eating nearly-spoiled foods for the past one-hundred, twenty-three days. I'd given up singing to myself as a comfort, because it served me no good. The first time I tried, the guards tortured me for being annoying and disrupting their peace. The second time, my voice cracked from the pain. Since then, I'd barely spoken a word to anyone.

I don't know how long I was laying there. After a while, you begin to just not care at all. It must have been a while, for the sound of footsteps neared in the silence of the hall. I froze on the cot, curling my arms so tightly around myself, partially in defense and partially out of fear. I couldn't recall of the times that I'd been jumped by guards while lying helpless in my cell… especially when they assumed I was asleep.

I waited, my heart thrashing in my chest, as the footsteps came nearer still, and the sound of keys came from the doorway. I risked a glance over my shoulder before sighing deeply. The door opened with a loud, obnoxious creak, and a man sauntered inside. I felt the tension of my shoulders begin to ease as he neared my cot, carrying a large metal tray in his hands. Unwinding my arms, I rolled over to look at him.

The man was rather tall and decently built, pale skin visible through his dark shirt and trousers. Worn leather sandals were strapped to his feet, his toes covered in dirt from walking around in the dirty underground. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, rich chocolaty bangs hanging down in strips on either side of his long face. Deep and beautiful blue eyes were set like almonds into his face above rosy, prominent cheeks.

Every time I looked at him, I felt strangely at ease, and not simply for the fact that he was kind. No, there was something comfortably familiar about this man that I could never quite put my finger on. I didn't mind it in the slightest, though. He was the only friend that I had in this place, and I had no intention of complaining about that.

"How are you feeling today, Adam?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle as he set the tray down on my cot by my feet.

"Better than before, thank you," I replied just as quietly. He nodded slowly, dipping a clean cloth into a small bowl of water, a tiny bottle of what looked like peroxide sitting next to it.

"How are the wounds? Are they any better?"

"Much, thank you, Sebastian." Sebastian nodded again as I rolled onto my stomach, waiting for his gentle fingers to peel away the hem of my shirt—it had been given to me by another prisoner when he saw the condition of my original shirt—to expose my back. I shivered lightly, trying my best to relax.

Sebastian was, primarily, a messenger for the Persians. But when he wasn't busy carting letters back and forth, he was the medic for the prisoners. While Emir had a sick sense of humor in torturing everyone, he also kept them from getting infected or ill to the point of death. He liked prolonging their suffering as much as possible.

Sebastian told me that he was working for the Persians because, prior to being brought here and forced to work, he'd been a doctor for a small village just north of the palace. And he had been tending to a sickly woman and needed a specific antidote, one that he couldn't afford. He tried to steal the medicine and had been caught, imprisoned and awaiting his execution. But Emir kept him for his skills in medicine and ailments, as well as his charisma, and enslaved him as a doctor and messenger. It was the only reason he wasn't killed.

I folded my arms under my head, sighing quietly as Sebastian wiped at the scabs and cuts on my lower back with water. I winced now and then, hissing softly in pain, but those were the only sounds that pervaded through the air. After a long while, he began to clean them with the peroxide, and that stung worse than before. I tried to stay relaxed, but I couldn't do it. Usually Sebastian would talk and that would take my mind off of things, but not today… Because he wasn't talking.

Sebastian was, normally, a conversationalist, but his silence unnerved me. "Sebastian?" I groaned. "Is everything alright?" I questioned gently, turning my head to face him a little. Sebastian's expression was rather reserved, and I feared that he would tell me he was being replaced or executed.

"Do you remember a young man by the name of Sauli? He was a pleasure servant who spent what little free time he had with me?" Sebastian mumbled quietly. I frowned a little before nodding once. I'd only ever met Sauli once, and that was when Sebastian was tending to me in his room. Sauli had come in for pain relievers while Sebastian worked to keep my fever down. It had been one of the first times I'd gotten sick.

"I do. He was the blond one, right? He came into your room that day that I had a fever." Sebastian nodded once to me.

"Yes, that's him," Sebastian said, his voice soft and withdrawn. I frowned again, and Sebastian let out a heavy breath. "He's been gifted away. The guards won't say where he's been taken, but they talk about how he's not going to come back despite how… damaged… he is." I winced softly as Sebastian choked out the words. Sauli, from what I'd heard, had been a pleasure servant his entire life, and had been used by each of the guards more times than I could even try to count. And not just for sex. No, they would use him as a punching bag. A scapegoat for their frustrations.

"Where do you think he's been sent off to?" I asked. Sebastian sighed.

"I'm praying to the Gods that he's been sent to Egypt, actually… I know your husband will be disappointed if not enraged that King Emir would gift him a pleasure slave and not you… But, at least, in Egypt.. he'll be safe. At least, more safe there than anywhere else, especially here." Sebastian treated Sauli like one of his own children. In fact, Sebastian treated almost everyone like his own children. All of his patients were his kids. And it wasn't like some kind of act to him. No, Sebastian had kids. Two full grown daughters who were happily married. In fact, he was a grandfather, because his eldest daughter, as he'd told me, had two twin boys shortly after she married.

I nodded slowly. Sebastian and I made regular prayers to the Gods—Sebastian was Egyptian, too, and four years older than me—for a lot of things, and now this was another one. With the exception of our one and only encounter together, I never really saw or spoke to Sauli. But it didn't take a psychologist to see that he was hurt by being a pleasure servant.

"If he has been gifted to Egypt, Drake will take care of him, I'm sure of it. He won't use Sauli like the right of the guards here. He'll treat Sauli like his own brother," I said gently, and Sebastian nodded slowly, bandaging the open cuts on my back. I winced a little before relaxing with a sigh as Sebastian knelt beside me.

"I have faith in you and your husband. I just hope that Sauli has the same faith, you know?" Sebastian muttered gently and I hummed in agreement.

"That's only if he's been sent to Egypt. If not… we may never see him again." I said darkly, clenching my jaw. Sebastian let out a breath, gently easing my shirt back down.

"I'm due to serve my duty as messenger. Apparently the man they've been using fell ill on this last trip back to Persia, and I'm the only other one available who isn't suffering some sort of injury or illness." I frowned.

"How long will you be gone?" I asked. Sebastian didn't hesitate.

"A week, at most. Even with Persia's advanced technology in transportation, it's a long journey." Sebastian said, and I stared off into space. I'd never made efforts to get close to the original messenger, due to the fact that he was a loyal Persian. But if Sebastian—and Egyptian and my friend—was to be messenger… If he was going to be with Drake, even for a moment…

"Will you take anything with you?" I inquired and Sebastian nodded.

"Yes, why?" I sat up slowly, mindful of my back and the tray by my feet.

"Do you have paper and ink with you, by chance?" I questioned. Sebastian frowned.

"No. But I can bring you some later. Why?"

"I'm going to have you deliver a message to Drake."


	133. Chapter 133

**Chapter Sixteen: And I Just Want to Ask**  
 **Sebastian's POV**

"Adam, Adam come here, quickly," I whispered through the bars of his cell. He appeared to be sleeping but I knew he wasn't. Adam hardly ever slept because of his ailments, wounds or just the fear of being attacked in his sleep. I couldn't say I blamed him much, really. The Persian guards were a huge group of sick bastards who loved to torture their prisoners. Adam became one of their favorites.

Adam had tensed when I first called to him, but when he realized who was talking to him; he pulled himself from his cot and came to the bars. "Sebastian?" he whispered quietly. I pushed a few pieces of paper and an ink pen through the bars and into his hands.

"Write your message to your husband. Hide it in your pillowcase until I come back to get it tomorrow. I'll do one more check up for you before I leave for Egypt and I'll get the message from you then. Make sure that you don't let any of the guards see you, all right?" I told him and he nodded, holding the paper and pen close. "I'll be back in the morning, now go back to bed and pretend to be asleep." He nodded again.

"Thank you Sebastian… So much," he said quietly, looking grateful. I wanted to stand around and talk with him, but I could hear a few guards coming our way. "Good night…" he whispered and hurried back to bed. He stuffed the paper and pen into his pillow before lying down and curling up a little. I just hoped he would actually be able to write his message without the guards catching him. Hopefully they would just leave him alone.

I left Adam regretfully and went back to my chambers. It wasn't really… a great place to be, but it was better than a cell. It was a room with a tiny desk, a few medical books stacked up on one corner, medical supplies scattering the entire desk and the shelves that acted as a headboard above my small mattress. There was one lamp on a small table on the other end of my bed and that was the entire room, but people couldn't just come in and out as they pleased. I couldn't complain too much considering I wasn't, really, being beaten or abused by the guards that littered every single hall of this God forsaken palace.

Lying down on my mattress, I knew sleep would not greet me. It never really did grace me on nights before I had to leave for Egypt. I knew it was the result of a mix of things, longing to be home in Egypt, fear of the guards that would be escorting me and, of course, the possibility that something on the trip would go wrong. Sometimes I wished something would go wrong, just so I wouldn't have to be brought back to Persia, but I couldn't abandon all of the prisoners who needed me here, like Adam…

Just as I suspected, I sat in total darkness (there were no windows in my tiny room) until I knew I needed to get up and go see Adam. Silently, I got dressed in a fresh set of clothes and left my room with a small travel sack slung over my shoulder. I checked for guards to make sure none of them would stop me as I made my way to Adam's cell. "Adam? I whispered quietly and he looked up at me from where he was sitting next to his cot. Without a word, he stood up, pulling a few sheets of paper from the pillowcase. He had taken care to make sure they didn't get too crinkled through the night and he brought them to me, passing them between the bars.

I glanced at them briefly before slipping them into a folder in my bag. The top page was a drawing of an oval stone with beautiful hieroglyphic design embedded into it. The main characters were Adam's name in Arabic. "It's a tattoo that Drake got for my birthday several years ago," Adam told me quietly. "The rest is a note I wrote in the old language so most Persians won't be able to read it. If, for whatever reason, someone finds it, just tell him or her it's a journal you've kept. Hide these papers in the message Emir sends to you. Drake will find it, I'm sure."

"I will, Adam," I told him quietly. What I was doing was dangerous if I got caught, but I knew that going in. It didn't bother me. I wanted to help in whatever way I could. "I will make sure I get them to him, I promise you."

"Thank you," he whispered. "Now you should get to Emir before he gets upset with you…"

"I will. Take care of yourself, Adam, I'll be back soon, I promise," told him quietly and he gave me a gentle smile. Underneath his injuries, sickness and the filth the prison left on him, he was a very gorgeous man and I wasn't even interested in men. "I'll see you soon," I promised before I turned and left the dungeons all together. A few guards met me at the top of the never-ending staircase and escorted me to the throne room.

The moment I walked in and my eyes fell on Emir, I felt disgusted. He had a girl, no more than nineteen, on her knees, almost completely naked, pleasing him with her mouth. He didn't seem to care that everyone could watch this girl blow him; in fact, it seemed to give him some sort of sick pleasure. The girl was an Egyptian, I could tell by some of the tattoos she had. She wore nothing but a black, laced thong. Everything else was completely exposed to everyone and that was just not right. It was instances like these that made me want to tear Emir apart. He was such a fucking bastard.

"Here is the new proposal I want you to deliver to Pharaoh Drake," Emir said to me. He didn't even have the girl pull away from him while he addressed me and I didn't want to get close to him, but I walked to his throne, bowed respectfully and stood, taking the very large, thick proposal from the king. I secretly hoped this girl would bite his dick off. He deserved it.

"Yes, My King," I said respectfully and carefully placed the documents into my bag. I was sure it was full of pointless bullshit. Emir didn't want to reason with Drake. Nothing Drake offered was good enough for the prick. From what I understood, Drake had been very generous, offering him everything short of his title as Pharaoh. I was sure that was the only thing that Emir was interested in. He wanted to control Egypt with the same iron fist he controlled Persia with, but Drake would never give Emir control of Egypt. Drake would find some other way to get Adam back, I was sure.

"Now go, you have a long journey. Don't waste you time standing around," Emir barked. What an asshole. Being around him just made my blood boil.

~

The trip to Egypt had lasted five days and every last second of it was very unpleasant, but luckily I managed to keep Adam's message hidden from my guard escorts. They didn't go through my things, amazingly, they just liked to push me around. It was really rather annoying and painful, but I managed to make it through the journey with minimal injuries and a whole lot of annoyance. I found it best to just ignore the guards instead of openly showing them that you were hurt or upset. If they didn't think you were hurt, they didn't get much pleasure out of beating you.

One of Pharaoh Drake's advisers met us at the top of the massive stone staircase that lead up to the throne room of the Egyptian palace. His name, I believed, was Cassidy. He was the man I met with the last two times I had been here because the Pharaoh was too busy doing other important things to stop and talk to me. I wondered if it was going to be the same deal this time…

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Cassidy said to us, turning to lead us inside. "Pharaoh Drake is waiting for you inside. He has made time in his busy schedule to meet with you, so please do not take it for granted," Cassidy advised. Derek, one of the guards who was escorting me, snorted in response. Out of all the guards Emir had, Derek was my least favorite. He was very violent, he loved using the prisoners and pleasure servants for sex and he was completely disrespectful. Cassidy fixed him with a rather rueful glare and then he led us inside.

Sitting upon Adam's large, golden throne was a beautiful young man with bright red hair, the edges and bangs dipped in a brilliant gold that shined even more than the jewelry he was adorned in. He didn't wear an overly obnoxious amount of jewels and gold, just enough to show that he was royalty and he was meant to be respected. One necklace with a ruby on the end, two gold ankh earrings, an ear cuff on his right cartilage, several thin gold and red bangles on his left wrist and gold sandals. He worse crisp white shorts that ended several inches above his knee and a sheer top that showed off his beautiful inkings through it. There was a gold robe laying over one arm of the throne and I assumed he just got too hot to wear it.

There was something very familiar about this boy and, for some reason, I was picturing him with chocolate colored hair instead of the vibrant red…

"My Pharaoh," I said out of respect but also affection, because he was My Pharaoh. I was an Egyptian, not a Persian. I bowed to him while Derek and the other guard, Joshua, stood on either side of me. They should have bowed as well, but, like I said, Persians were assholes.

Drake stood from the throne and walked down the few steps to stand in front of me. "Rise and be heard, messenger," he said, but he wasn't rude or cruel, just stern in what he wanted.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, standing about a head taller than the boy. I was surprised at just how short he was. With the petite body, slight curves and beautiful features, he could have easily been mistaken for a woman, but there was something about him… Everything about him was familiar to me, but I knew I had never met him before…

"My Pharaoh, King Emir had sent me with his newest proposal," I told him, pulling out the large stack of documents. I hated calling Emir "king" but I couldn't avoid it when with the guards.

Drake reached forward and took the stack into his hands. It was only then that I noticed the ring on his left ring finger. It wasn't Egyptian custom to exchange rings during a marriage, but apparently Adam had give him a ring. "Thank you," Drake said quietly, looking up at me. He was short, yes, but he stood with a sort of pride that made him strong despite his small size. "What is your name?" he asked, his tone softer.

"Sebastian," I answered, looking down at the stack of documents. "There is a special… gift for you on the bottom of this pile," I whispered in the old language so the guards wouldn't be able to understand me. "Your husband—"

"Hey, what are you talking about?!" Derek roared, grabbing me by the shoulder and yanking me back rather violently. "Only languages we can all understand you—"

"Silence, release him," Drake barked, looking rather enraged. "I don't know who you think you are, but in my palace, you will treat _everyone_ with respect and you will not harm anyone while in my presences. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your _Grace_ " Derek replied sarcastically, glaring at Drake and there was fire burning in his eyes, like he would have liked nothing more than to shoot the bastard.

"What's your name?" Drake asked him and Derek basically spat in his face, asking him why the Hell he would even care. "You might be the most disrespectful man I've even met," Drake hissed at him. "I don't know why you think you're all high and mighty, but you're _nothing_. You've been nothing since the day you were born. That's why you're a prison guard. So maybe you should start showing others a little respect, you little fuck." Derek looked completely shocked and, well, angry but dumbfounded all at once. "Now step back."

For the first time ever, I saw Derek do exactly what he was told. Drake turned back to me when Derek had stepped away. "Thank you," he said quietly and he casually slipped one of his bangles off, handing it to me with no one noticing. "Take this to him, please… If you get to see him again. If not, keep it safe for me."

"Thank you my Pharaoh," I whispered. "But I must go now…" Drake looked a little sad to let me go, but he nodded softly.

"Be safe," he said, his eyes filled with worry and question.


	134. Chapter 134

**Chapter Seventeen: Just Like That, I'm Crawling Back To You**

 **Drake's POV**

 _My dearest love,_

 _Every day is unbearable, knowing that I am here in this disgusting place without any way for you to know that I am still alive; knowing that you are safe and warm in our beloved Egypt, feeling the pain that I am feeling at our separation. How I wish I could separate my soul from myself and go to you, to hold you and kiss you for a moment and reassure you that everything is going to be okay._

 _But there is no way to separate from this place, from myself. I am ever present in mind and body, even when I try to shut away from those around me. The guards are horrendous, the other prisoners are weak and fearful, and Emir… Emir should not be graced with the title "king". He is nothing of the sort. Sebastian—you would have met him by the time you read this, if it reaches you at all— tells me that he's been present to witness some of Emir's cruelest tactics.. I won't go into the details. I don't want you to worry any further than you, no doubt, already do. I am fine, my love. He leaves me alone. I just wish his guards would do the same._

 _They are vicious and cruel, these men. They're built like machines and act just as robotic, unless they're insulting or torturing a fellow prisoner. So many times I can hear them laughing from down the hall. It's chilling and frightening… and… I won't lie or try to sugarcoat anything in the hopes that you won't worry. I know you will. They do beat me, these beasts. Horribly so. Mostly, though, they just torment me with their words, telling me that you believe me to be dead or that you have just forgotten about me and moved on…_

 _But I am not letting them break me. Every night I go to sleep I know that you are in Egypt, fighting for my return. And I am here, being patient and cooperative in the hopes that Emir will realize there is no point in keeping me here, and he that he will let me go—alive. That's all I can hope for right now. My head is telling me that it'll never happen, that he'll keep me here until I die or until he has conquered Egypt. But my heart tells me that you will pull through, that you will come for me and save Egypt from this tyrant._

 _I have faith in you, my love. I know this is hard. It's hard for me to be here without you, wondering how you are and if you're fighting for us. But I have faith in you. You are stronger than you seem and braver than you believe. Please, love, remember that I am always there in spirit. I am there in your heart. I am there when you go to sleep, in your dreams. Always. I will fight for you, I will fight to keep living. Fight for me, Drake._

 _I love you. Keep fighting._

 _Adam_

Tears were streaming my face and my hands shook so furiously that I was afraid I would tear the letter, and I had to let go of it for a moment. I cupped my hands over my face, sobbing into my palms in my room. Months… I had waited months to know something, _anything_ , about Adam. Countless hours and seconds lost between us and now, this… Finally, _this_.

So much time spent on worrying whether or not he was safe and alright. While I did not favor that he was being beaten and tortured, at least I knew what was happening to him. I knew that he was in pain, that he was suffering, and I had even more dirt on _King_ Emir… Not only had he kidnapped the Pharaoh of all Egypt, but he was treating him like an imprisoned fiend, beating him like a worthless dog…

This was such a call for war…

But I knew that I couldn't… Even if I truly wanted to wage war on Persia, it wasn't the smart thing to do. There was no doubt that Emir wanted war. He wanted to fight because he wanted Egypt. For whatever reason, I wasn't sure, but he wanted my country, and I would stop at nothing to keep it from him. And while part of me wanted nothing more than to knock his front door down and hold a gun to his head, I couldn't risk Adam's safety… I would never forgive myself if I did that and Adam paid the price…

Wiping my eyes slowly, I looked down at the letter again. Black ink etched neat and perfect into two sheets of paper. There was no way that this letter could have been faked. Not only was it written in our native language, but Adam's handwriting was unique, and his attention to detail was pristine, even if he wasn't much of an artist. The third page was a damn near perfect drawn replica of the tattoo I'd gotten several years ago on the inside of my thigh.

Gods… I still couldn't fathom that Adam had managed to send me a letter… A letter… _A physical letter_. I felt… I felt euphoric and overwhelmed and I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't believe that he was able to get it passed the guards and into that messenger's bag. Sebastian.. that was his name. And Sebastian spoke our language, which led me to believe that he was Egyptian. But what was an Egyptian doing working for the enemy? Unless he was enslaved…

I bit down on my lip, wiping the tears from my face. In the brief moment that we'd been together, there was something so incredibly familiar about Sebastian, but I couldn't put my finger on it. His hair was shaggy and a deep, rich chocolate color, and his bright blue eyes were wise and compassionate. I didn't know him in the slightest but he felt familiar…

I couldn't ponder on it any longer, for there was a knock at my bedroom door before it opened slowly. I gathered the pages of the letter together, trying not to cry as I stared at Adam's words. There were footsteps that came closer, and I looked up to see Cassidy standing over me. His eyes were concerned, widening as he realized that I was crying.

"Drake?" He murmured, sitting on the bed beside me. "Drake, why are you crying? Eric said he saw you in tears as you left the throne room, and you had a bunch of papers in your hands. Is there a new proposal?" I shook my head, sighing heavily.

"The proposal is the same… Just new words and phrasing. It's all the same bullshit, really," I told him, rubbing my eyes gently.

"Then why are you crying?" He asked. I sighed softly, lifting the letter into my hands before holding it out to him. I watched as Cassidy too it into his grasp, staring down at it for a long moment. His brown eyes widened significantly.

"Oh, Gods…" He whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. I nodded as tears welled in my eyes. He lifted his gaze to meet mine. "Is this real? Did he… Did he really send this to you?" I nodded slowly.

"The messenger, his name was Sebastian and he's Egyptian, told me in our native language that this was from Adam… He tried to say more, but the guard escorts stopped him. He's on our side, Cass. Sebastian is with Adam and he's with us… We have a way in, Cass. An inside man who can keep us informed of everything!"

"Truly? I thought things like this only happened in fiction.." I smiled, shaking wiping the fresh tears away with the sleeve of Adam's robe. I lowered my gaze to the drawing of the tattoo, gently tracing my fingertips along the pattern of it on the sheet.

"It's true, Cass. All that matters though is that Adam is alive and… and he's okay. Sebastian is taking care of him. We can stay in touch with Adam and maybe, just maybe, we can get him out of there soon!" I exclaimed happily, reaching out to cling to my advisor and friend. Cassidy held me close, but his face was withdrawn.

"We don't know that for sure, yet, Drake. Yes, we have a way to reach Adam, now. But what if something happens to Sebastian, or the messenger duties change? We cannot rely on Sebastian being there every time…" I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is this…" I murmured, clutching the tattoo drawing and letter in my fist. Cassidy sighed softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Please understand that this may only happen once. We may only get this one letter…" I trembled in his arms, shaking my head. I couldn't think about only getting one letter from Adam. I needed more. I needed to know that he was okay, and that he was continuing to fight for me. He wanted me to fight for him, and I would. But I needed him to fight, and I needed to _know_ that he was fighting…

"No… It'll keep happening. It has to keep happening. I.. I can't—" Cassidy's arms tightened around me as I shook.

"Drake—"

" _No!_ There _has_ to be more after this! I.. I sent a gift back with Sebastian! Adam will get it, he'll know that I got his letter! He'll keep writing to me! He has to! He told me to fight, and he needs to fight back for me! He needs to…" Cassidy pressed my face to his shoulder as my body wracked itself with violent tremors. He had to. I couldn't… I wouldn't be able to handle getting this one letter from him and never get another one. That was too much of a tease. Too much of the Gods saying 'Here's a treat for your suffering, and now you won't get another'…

"Baby… I—I'm not saying it'll never happen again, just understand that… that it might not…" Cassidy was being the realist, as always. But this letter… This letter instilled so much hope and faith…

"I need him, Cassidy… I need him so much, and this… This brings me so close to him. If Sebastian continues to bring me the proposals, he can bring me Adam's letters… He can bring my love home…" Cassidy sighed heavily, running his fingers through my hair. I hated that I felt so desperate for pieces of paper with ink scrawled hurriedly into them, but… If this was going to bridge the separation, even only a little, I would do everything in my power to keep them coming…

Cassidy held me for a long while before pulling away with a fleeting kiss on my forehead. He gathered up the papers of the proposal, leaving the letter and the drawing on my bed. I knew that he and Alex had to look them over. Under normal circumstances, I would have gone with them, but when I looked back to the letter again, I knew that I wouldn't be able to. More than the desire, I needed to stay here. I needed to read this letter again… and again…

Cassidy left me in silence as I stared at the letter. I must have read it over another five or ten times, tearing up more and more each time. I could hear Adam's soft voice purring in my ear, whispering how much he loved me and how he wanted me to fight. I could feel his arms tightening around me in a lover's embrace. I sighed heavily, pressing the letter to my chest, holding it there for a long while.

I would have stayed there with the letter pressed to my chest if it weren't for a small, soft sound. I frowned, sighing. There always had to be something to interrupt my personal moments… Setting the letter down onto the bed, I turned towards the source of the sound, seeing something that startled me.

Standing by the archway to the balcony was a long, slender and sleek black cat. Gray fur colored his paws and his left ear, as well as his chest between his front legs and below his neck. His eyes were a blue-gray color with deep, black slanted irises. I tilted my head to the side, staring long and hard at this cat. How did he manage to get up here? Mine and Adam's room was on the second floor, one of few rooms on the second floor of the palace.

The cat meowed softly, and I clicked my tongue, rubbing my fingers together in its direction. It padded quickly across the stone floor before leaping up onto the bed, crossing the mass of sheets and pillows before nuzzling my hand. His fur was smooth and glossy in the afternoon light, and he purred like a soft machine.

"You're adorable," I said gently, scratching behind his ears. "But where did you come from?" The cat purred, pressing his face into my hand before crawling into my lap. He rested his front paws on my thigh, staring up at me, his tail swishing back and forth.

"Never mind that… What should I call you?" I mused, caressing his chin. He purred, puffing his chest out and lifting his chin, his eyes never leaving mine. I felt a shiver race down my spine as I glanced at the pages of the letter scattered on my bed, staring at Adam's handwriting. The letter and the cat…? A cat with sleek, black fur, graced with a bit of gray… with blue-gray eyes…

"Pharaoh," I whispered, and the cat meowed affectionately, nuzzling my chest.


	135. Chapter 135

**Chapter Eighteen: And When It Seems Like You Are A Million Miles Away  
Adam's POV**

Sebastian left for Egypt almost two weeks ago. He said he would be back by now but he wasn't and I was beginning to worry if he was hurt or if one of the guards found my letter to my husband. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if Sebastian was hurt because of me.

The dungeons were quiet other than the passing guards, so I had to assume that it was nighttime. I was curled up on my side, facing the back wall of my cell, my back to the bars. There was nothing I wanted more to sleep, but I hadn't been able to sleep since Sebastian left and I doubted I would sleep much until he came back and told me how things went.

Despite not being able to sleep, I pretended to sleep. The guards like to beat me. Sometimes they'd like to sexually assault me, but thankfully I hadn't been raped. I could only pray to the Gods that something that far wouldn't happen, but I wasn't guaranteed much in this place. However, if I was asleep or appeared to be asleep, the guards usually left me alone. There was only one who seemed to have a really sick sort of attraction to me.

Derek.

I didn't know what his problem was, but he might have been the biggest ass hole I had ever met. It surprised me really that Emir's guards could be even worse than Emir himself, but Derek definitely was…

Just as those thoughts interrupted my constant worry about Sebastian and Drake, there was a loud pounding on the bars of my cell and I tensed. Apparently tonight was not one of the nights where pretending to be asleep would get the guards to leave me alone. I heard the door slide open and then slam shut, footsteps slowly approaching me. If I was lucky, not reacting would get whoever it was to just leave me alone.

Fingers knotted themselves into my hair and pulled harshly, tugging me up into a sitting position. "Wakey, wakey," the guard hissed in my ear and I instantly knew it to be Derek. He kept my hair in his hand as he turned me to face him, none too gently either. He took my jaw into his other hand and forced me to look him in the eye. "You going to be a good slut for me tonight?" he asked, a sickening smirk on his face.

I didn't respond. In fact, it took everything I had not to spit at him or something. I dropped my eyes so I didn't have to look him in the face and he let go of me, take a half step back before back handing me across the left cheek, pushing me from the cot to the stone floor. Gasping in pain, I put a hand to my face, whining in pain. Derek was, unfortunately, not only the meanest guard but also one of the strongest.

There was a bit of a silence and I curled up on the floor a little, cradling my cheek. I prayed Derek would just leave me alone but of course he didn't. He walked over to me and kicked me in the ribs, not hard enough to break anything, but decent enough to hurt and probably leave a really nasty bruise. "I will ask you again, whore," Derek hissed, using his foot to force me to roll over. "Are you going to be a good slut for me tonight?"

"Yes…" I groaned deeply. I didn't want to be his little slut, but I knew that if I denied him, things would be even worse for me.

Derek smirked and unlaced the front of his trousers, pulling his limp cock from inside and stroking himself gently. "On your knees, bitch," he hissed, stroking himself slowly. I instantly knew where this was going and as much as I wanted to tell him to fuck off, I slowly pushed myself onto my knees, shaking slight. My side and the left half of my face ached, a lot, but I wouldn't worry about myself much until Derek was gone.

He stopped touching himself and, instead, tangled his fingers into my hair, pulling tight. "Stroke me until I'm hard and then blow me," he snapped and I grimaced, slowly reaching up to stroke him with shaking fingers. It really didn't take any time at all for him to grow thick and full in my grasp. He was such a sick bastard; I really hoped that one day he would realize how disgusting he really was.

I stroked him for as long as I could get away with it, hoping he would finish before I had to suck him but of course I wasn't that lucky. "Stop, he growled, tugging my hair again. I cried out in pain, dropping my hands as he fisted himself, rubbing the head of his erection over my lips. "Suck me, real nice and slow."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I took the head into my mouth and I instantly wanted to bite down or pull back just because he tasted so awful. I sucked on the head, keep my eyes closed the entire time but he pulled back and slapped the right side of my face. "Look at me." I hissed in pain, opening my eyes to look up at him. His fingers twisted into my hair again, pulling me face back to his erection. "Don't look away, or I will fuck you like the filthy bitch you are and I promise that I will _break you_ ," he hissed and I whimpered quietly as he forced his cock back into my mouth, keeping my head angled so I would have to look at him as he fucked my mouth.

No matter how much I wanted to look away, I didn't. Watching the sickening pleasure roll through his eyes and his penis constantly bump the back of my throat made me want to throw up, but I couldn't risk Derek pushing me down onto the ground and raping me like I was put on this earth just for him to fuck…

Derek was grunting and moaning in pleasure, thrusting hard into my mouth as I sucked him. I knew he was nearing his end because his breathing got quicker and his thrusts were harder, more demanding. He tugged my hair, pulling me off of him and he reached down with his free hand, fishing himself and pumping hard, coming hot and hard all over my lips, chin, jaw and neck. I let out a groan of disgust but the smirk that flashed over his features told me that in his sick, twisted mind, he thought I was groaning in pleasure.

He used the head of his cock to smear his seed over my sick and I felt filthy, like I really was a whore. I tried to pull back, just to get out of his reach and that sent him into a rampage. "Do. Not. Pull. Away. From. Me!" he hissed as he slapped me hard enough to send me to the ground. I managed to catch myself with my arm but I cashed as my cheek throbbed.

"Stop it!" I finally shouted at him, tears flooding into my eyes. I was the Pharaoh of Egypt and I was being used as some filthy guard's sex toy. I was tired of it and I really just wanted him to leave me the fuck alone.

"What did you just say to me?" he asked as I tried to push myself up enough to maybe fight him off, but he used a booted foot to kick me into the ground and hold me there. " _What did you say to me?!"_ " he repeated, hissing loudly. I knew I fucked up, but I was just so tired of this. Couldn't he just stop? It was bad enough that I was kidnapped, kept in a disgusting, filthy cell and told repeatedly that my "whore of a husband" was already sleeping with my advisers. Did I really have to endure needless beatings and sexual assaults?

"I said stop it!" I shouted at him, curling away from him.

"You filthy little whore, I swear I'm—" he started to say and was no doubt reaching for me to do something horrible to me, like rape, when another guard called for Derek. Derek grunted and without another word, he pulled away from me, left my cell, slammed the door shut and left me alone, curled up on the floor of my cell. My face hurt and my side hurt, but I slowly pulled myself up onto my cot, trying to relax, but it wasn't working. I wanted to get his seed off of my face, but I had nothing to wipe it on and tears were streaking my face.

I curled up on my cot, crying in pain and misery. My tears mixed with the semen on my face and it was rather disgusting, but I just kept crying, no matter how much I wanted to stop, I just couldn't.

It really wasn't clear how long I was curled up like that when someone came into my cell. I was almost positive it was Derek, to finish what he started, but when I heard the gasp, I knew it was Sebastian. "Adam?!" he exclaimed, rushing to my side. "Adam, what happened? Why are you crying?" he asked, setting something down at my feet.

"Derek…" I whispered. Sebastian helped me sit up straight and he gasped, pulling a wet cloth from the tray he set on the cot to wipe the semen off of my face. "He forced me to blow him…" I swallowed once my face actually felt clean again. "And then he was going to do something worse…. Like rape me, or something, but someone called for him and he left…" New tears were replacing the old ones and Sebastian frowned deeply, putting his hands on either side of my face. I whimpered in pain. My cheeks were kind of swollen from Derek slapping me, but Sebastian didn't move away.

"I'm sorry… I need to make sure your cheekbones aren't broken…" he said. I didn't even need to tell him that Derek had repeatedly hit me, so I must have looked pretty awful. He tenderly rubbed over my swollen cheeks, trying to feel for any sort of break. "Mostly it just feels like swollen muscle…" he said and his thumb stilled on my right cheek. "Bit this… this feels like a fracture…"

I whimpered softly. "How can that be fixed?"

"It can't… it'll have to heal on its own…" he said quietly, frowning.

"So basically… I have to let Derek do whatever he wants to me so I won't get slapped again?" he asked.

Sebastian sighed. "Unfortunately…" he said quietly, looking like he felt really bad. "I'm sorry Adam, but I did bring this for you…" He lifted a plate of food from the tray and pulled a small envelope out from under it, handing it to me.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A gift from your husband," he answered.


	136. Chapter 136

**Chapter Nineteen: Ooh, I've Been Watching You For So Long**

 **Eric's POV**

While Drake and I did not always see eye to eye, especially in the past, I could not deny that watching my older brother suffer at the loss of his King and his husband was a painful experience. Daily, it seemed, Drake looked more and more miserable and there was nothing that could be done about it. Nothing at all. Alex and Cassidy did the best they could, even Tommy and Hiei and our mama, but nothing worked. Nothing relieved his pain.

Which is why it was such a relief when that messenger came from Persia with a letter from Adam. I could remember that Drake kept himself holed up in his chambers for days, reading and rereading that letter. Only his advisers were allowed into the room. I'd asked why that was so after not seeing my brother for three days, and Alex told me it was an order that Drake had given. He didn't want to see anyone.

Not being around him for nearly a week straight was really putting a toll on me. Drake and I had had our spats before but we worked through them. Not being able to see him? That was hard in ways I couldn't even begin to express. While Drake and I went through a rough patch after he'd gone and shortly after our family had been brought here, that was done and over with. We were close now.

We were the brothers we used to be for one another.

Sighing heavily, I snapped the book in my hands shut, slipping it back into its place on the shelf. I still couldn't get over the sheer size of the library, and I'd been living here for almost six and a half years. I couldn't hope to comprehend how one man could afford so many books. But then again, it still never really made much sense how our society could be so technologically advanced and yet we still built pyramids with ancient methods and…had messengers when we could think of faster and more efficient methods of communication.

But I wasn't one to complain. I loved the life I had and the way I lived it. My brothers, Hayden and Jonah, and I had found great interest in taking the motorbikes—that's what we called them, but they ran entirely on solar energy and were relatively silent when in use—and going out on little races. Hayden was still too young to drive them, but Jonah and I would race and Hayden would sit on the curve of the seat behind us, switching back and forth as he pleased.

Thinking of the bikes led me to a memory from a year or two ago. All Hayden wanted for his birthday was his own bike and the approval to ride it. I could remember Pharaoh Adam smiling like a kid at the idea, and he scooped Hayden into his arms like he'd been his big brother all his life. He told Hayden he'd get one specially made for his small size, and he'd give it to him when his mother deemed him old enough…

Tears stung my eyes as I thought about Adam. The Pharaoh loved me and treated me like his own sibling and I'd grown rather fond of him. Not having Drake in my life was hard, but Adam reminded me daily that Drake hadn't really gone anywhere. Drake made our lives better. And Adam didn't make it sound like I needed to be grateful to Drake, no. He said it to remind me that my father—since Drake was really only my half-brother—was wrong about Drake.

It was hard to believe that Adam had been missing for, what was it, four or almost five months now? It couldn't have been true, but I knew that Drake was keeping count in his head. And, sometimes, at dinner he'd mutter. He'd mutter so softly under his breath that it was barely there at all. But he'd say a number. A number of days. Or sometimes he'd say the month that Adam had been taken in. And that would remind us of the month we were in now and we'd know exactly how long it had been…

Pushing myself away from the shelf I was standing in front of, I wandered down the aisles of books. The library was silent as I paced the waves of fiction and non-fiction. Sunlight poured through the massive windows, washing down all around me in golden rays. I turned several corners here and there, scanning briefly over titles but never really retaining the names.

My sandals scuffed against the stone, and the soft cotton fabric of my trousers felt cool against my skin. I was wearing all white, though my shirt had some ruby-red trimming along the hems of the sleeves and neck-line. My hair was cut rather short, hanging in shaggy waves around my eyes and jaw. I kept it short and messy as opposed to Drake's neat A-line cut. I could remember when it hung thick and disheveled around his face, before he was taken from home. That felt like an eternity ago.

Turning another corner, I found myself at the center of the library, and I knew this because I was in a large opening with the peacock statue perched gracefully in the center. A deep green rug had been laid down beneath it and there were cushioned couches and chairs scattered pleasingly around it. A small smile tugged at my lips as I looked upon the statue. I'd heard the story behind it, and how Drake destroyed in it a fit of grieving rage before rebuilding it for Adam.

I couldn't dare to imagine the pain my brother must have gone through to face that wretched ex-adviser alone. To have to suffer such abuse and yet keep it all a secret for the sanctity of the safety of one's family… When I'd first heard that story, I couldn't believe it in the slightest. But then Drake confirmed it and even showed me the scars that Bradley had left in his skin, and I felt nothing but admiration at the strength of my older brother. I had been wrong to say that Anna's death was his fault, because he tried. He tried to save us all. Bradley had been fucked up enough to not give a damn about his efforts.

Running my fingers through my hair, I stared up at the statue for a long while, dragging my gaze along the fine details. Adam had told me that it was elaborating carved before Drake destroyed it, and now it seemed even more beautiful than before. I wasn't sure if he was just being nice, but I had to agree. There was no evidence that the statue had been previously destroyed, and it looked so realistic that I was waiting for it to unfurl its wings and spring off from the ring it was sitting in.

I must have been staring at that peacock for a while, for I didn't hear the footsteps draw near and I practically jumped out of my own skin at the sound of his soft voice, "Hello?"

Whipping around I found myself standing alone with Sauli, the slave who had been gifted to Drake from King Emir of Persia. I'd never really gone out of my way to talk to Sauli before, but I had seen him wandering around the palace a few times. He'd become a regular presence at dinners, even when Drake had not been. And even though we hadn't gotten to know each other, Sauli was perhaps the one person I did want to know.

I couldn't explain why but there was something about the tanned blond that intrigued me in a rather strange way. His eyes were warm and gentle, though often reserved, despite his past as a slave and he spoke with such sweet eloquence that you wouldn't even think to put the slave label on him. He was such an interesting person and I felt bad that I hadn't talked to him much before…

"You're… Eric, right?" Sauli inquired and I nodded once, unable to find my voice. It shouldn't have surprised me that Sauli knew my name. Drake had introduced all of us to him on his first night in the palace. "I'm sorry if I was intruding on anything…" he trailed off and I shook my head.

"N-no, it's fine. I wasn't doing anything important, really, just…looking at the—the statue," I told him, motioning to the peacock. Sauli glanced at it and smiled a little.

"It's a very beautiful piece of work," he agreed and I smiled back at him as he walked a little closer. His hands were clasped behind his back, his shirt stretched a little tighter across his shoulders. I watched the lines of fabric pull taught before looking away again.

"My brother, Drake, re-sculpted it after..after an accident, like, almost ten years ago…" Sauli looked amazed.

"The Pharaoh did this?" He asked and I nodded once.

"He's an artist. Always has been." Sauli smiled.

"He's very talented… and he's lived here with Pharaoh Adam for ten years?" I nodded again, another smile pulling at my own mouth.

"Yeah. He.. he was taken because our family couldn't pay our taxes, and we assumed that the pharaoh would just put him to work. But then we started getting money from the palace, with notes from Drake saying he was put in a service that kept him close to the pharaoh, and he was paid well. A few years after that, we were brought here and Pharaoh Adam told us that he and Drake had fallen in love and were getting married."

Sauli's eyes shined softly with admiration, and I felt my cheeks heat up a little. Underneath the tan complexion and sand-dusted cheeks, there was a faint blush as Sauli looked away from me and back up to the peacock statue.

"That's a very beautiful story… I didn't think that the Pharaoh's had such a romantic history," he commented and I chuckled.

"I didn't think so, originally, either. I didn't think very highly of Pharaoh Adam at all, actually. But then I got to know him and I realized he wasn't a bad person. He quickly grew to be like family for me…" I sighed, running my fingers through my short, shaggy hair. "I miss him every day, too.."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sauli said with a frown and I shook my head.

"I'll be alright… It's Drake I'm worried about, though. Apparently he got some kind of a letter when the messenger came and hasn't come out from his room at all. There hasn't been a word from him, and his advisers have only said that he wishes to be left alone for now. I wish I knew what was wrong…"

"I'm sure everything is fine…" Sauli muttered, and I gave him a strange look. "Well… From what I've heard, Pharaoh Drake is strong. He might not believe it in himself but he is—even I've seen it. And even if the news is sad or frustrating, it just means that he needs a little time to himself to get his thoughts together. And if it's happy news, he is likely to be overwhelmed with emotion and just needs to let the happiness out?"

I paused for a moment, taking a while to stare at Sauli in awe. I was Drake's brother and I hadn't even thought of that in the slightest. Here I'd been trying to understand the reason behind my brother locking himself up in his room for days on end, and then this ex-slave, who'd only known him for a week or so at most, understood him better than I could hope to.

"Wow… Maybe you're right," I told him with a wide smile, and Sauli blushed again, faint and adorable. "That's a really good idea, actually."

"Thanks…" he said bashfully and I smiled.

"You're welcome."


	137. Chapter 137

**Chapter Twenty: What Will You Be Using Your Time For?  
Hiei's POV**

I hadn't seen Drake since he received some sort of message from Adam through the messenger who had been sent from Persia to deliver the latest proposal from King Emir. To be honest, I was just severely worried about Drake. He might have been locked up in his room, mourning because the message said that his husband, a dear friend of many, and Egypt's beloved Pharaoh, was dead…

However, maybe I was just too worried that there was something horribly wrong. Perhaps Drake was just so overwhelmed with good news that he couldn't bear to be around anyone else, that he needed to be alone just to absorb all of the contents of whatever he received. Maybe he was planning a rescue or, perhaps, he was preparing for a war. I really didn't know what was going on or what to think because Cassidy wasn't telling me anything and he wouldn't let me see Drake.

My worry was becoming more than I could bear and every time I tried to talk to Cassidy about it, he avoided talking about it by saying "Hiei, please don't worry about it. You'll find out when Drake is ready for you and everyone else to find out". Well I was very, very tired of hearing that. Drake was one of my best friends and I was sick and tired of being worried about him with absolutely no explanations and no answers.

Well I was done with it. Cassidy and Alex were having a meeting with a few neighboring ally messengers and they would be held up for a few hours at least, so I figured now was the best time to go over to Drake's room and try to see him. If he turned me away, I would be persistent in talking to him before I left, but if he told me to leave, I would be respectful and leave. He was the Pharaoh, after all, but I was pretty persuasive, especially when it came to Drake. We connected in a way that no one else did.

A few people tried to stop me while I was on my way to Drake's chambers, but I pretty much smiled at them and kept walking. Sure, I was blowing them off, but at least I was doing it nicely. I wouldn't have normally acted like that, but I needed to get to Drake. I needed to make sure he was all right and I needed to know what was happening, especially if Cassidy had been keeping a horrible condition from me. What if Drake was on the verge of suicide and I wasn't there for him? How would I ever live with myself?

I needed to see him, that's all there was too it.

Nothing stopped me on my way across the palace. I ignored other employees and servants. Thankfully no one I was close to, like Tommy, Cassidy or Alex crossed my path and finally I was standing at the intricately carved double doors of the Pharaoh's quarters. Part of me didn't even want to knock, because I didn't want to be rejected. I just walked to walk in and demand that Drake talk to me, but I wasn't going to be rude. I didn't want him to be upset with me right off the back, since I really wasn't supposed to be here at all. Drake had requested no one see him… but I needed to. I needed to know if he was all right.

Raising my hand to the door, I knocked loud enough to be heard throughout the room but gentle enough that it wouldn't be obnoxious. I waited a few minutes before I heard the softest, sweetest voice I'd heard in a long while. "Come in," Drake called, his voice gentle and kind, the way it was before Adam was taken to Persia. Lately he'd either sounded depressed or angry, but not hoe he spook just now. Maybe it was good news after all…

Slowly I pushed the door open and saw Drake sitting cross-legged in the center of his bed, papers and notepad scattered around him. Drake's normally well-kept hair was sticking up in odd angles, making the recently added gold blend in more with the red than it normally did. He looked like he'd just bathed a few hours ago and when I got closer to him I could smell the vanilla. He was dressed in plain shorts and a plain shirt, but he was wrapped in a large red robe, which I was sure was Adam's.

"Drake?" I asked, going to the edge of them bed. He looked up at me with big, bright shining blue eyes. Since Adam had disappeared, Drake's eyes had lost some of their color, some of their allure. They became grayer than blue but looking at him now, his eyes looked bluer than they had in months.

"Hey Hiei," he said, giving me a soft smile. He didn't look nearly as happy as he should have been, happily married and in love with a wonderful man, but he looked happier than he had ever looked since Adam was taken. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I know you requested not to see anyone, but I was just starting to worry about you, Drake. You've been locked up in here for days and days and Cassidy won't tell me or anyone anything that is going on… We're all really starting to worry about you," I said honestly. "I was starting to worry that there was something seriously wrong, like you got bad news and you were so sick that you couldn't do anything… Or you were so depressed that you couldn't get out of bed or you were planning a war because something horrible happened to Adam… Please, Drake, all I want to know is that you're okay and that you didn't get any horrible news or anything. I've been worried sick and Cassidy won't tell me anything at all…"

"Hiei, try to relax and take a few deep breaths, okay?" Drake asked. "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong." He looked back down at the papers scattered around him and picked a very small stack of papers right off the top of the mess. "In fact, things are getting better." Before I could even ask, he handed me a drawing of a beautiful oval stone with Adam's name written in hieroglyphics.

"What is this?" I asked, studying the drawing. I heard Drake shifting on the bed and when I looked up, he was facing me completely, his legs spread apart, giving me a very nice, clear visual of his crotch and mental images of all the dirty things I could do to the boy in that position. He rolled up one of the legs on his shorts and I wasn't sure what to think about what he was doing, if he was being provocative or what. I didn't think he would even think about having sex with anyone while his husband was possibly being tortured or dying…

And then I saw it, the tattoo that was inked into the flesh of his inner thigh. "Adam's the only one who knows this tattoo in detail enough to draw it in perfect detail," he told me and after examining his inner thigh, I realized that the drawing I was holding in my hands was almost a perfect replica of the ink nestled into Drake's thigh.

"He sent this to you? This was the message Cassidy was talking about?" I asked and Drake nodded, handing me another paper, which was covered in beautiful script.

"Along with this note, written in Adam's hand," he said. "Adam's not doing great, but he's alive and he's being as strong as he can just so I can get to him…"

"So what's all of this then?" I asked, motioning to the papers and notes that were taking up most of Drake's massive bed. I knew that they weren't all notes from Adam, obviously, and Drake really could care less about the proposal King Emir sent him because every single time, he denied that Adam was in Persia or some other bullshit to keep Adam in his possession.

"I've been locked up in here trying to figure out anything and everything I can do to get Adam back short of starting a war with Persia. I have no doubt in my mind that Emir wants a war and that is his motive for everything he has been doing… " Drake explained to me, looking up at me again. "I'm not willing to start a war unless it is absolutely necessary. I have to try everything else possible before going to that extreme. However, I have no doubt that if this absolutely results in war, Egypt will have the power to win, but I don't want to worry about killing hundreds, possibility thousands of Egyptians because of Emir's sick games."

"Well…" I started, moving papers and notes out of the way so I could sit on the bed with him. "What exactly do you think we could do to get Adam back, end all of this, but stay away from war?"

"I'm not too sure," he said, putting his head down on my shoulder. He may have been clean and happier than usual, but he looked exhausted. I doubted he slept at all since he got Adam's letter. "I've already offered Emir millions and millions of dollars and relics and land. He turns everything down, like nothing I offer him is good enough and I know he keeps denying me Adam just because he wants to start a war. He's trying to push me into it declaring war so that way he gets what he wants, but it goes down in the books as Egypt's fault. Other countries won't see that Emir kidnapped Adam, all they will see is the new Pharaoh of Egypt already declaring war."

"So? Any ideas?" I asked him, stroking his hair gently, flattening it a little and trying to make it look nice.

"Well, short of war, all I can really think of is going to Persia and getting Adam back," he said to me and my eyes widened as far as they could go.

"Drake, no, you can't do something like that, it's crazy…" I said quietly, my hold on him tightening protectively just a little.

"I know it's crazy and I haven't made any final decisions, so please don't go telling people this, okay? I don't need Cassidy and Alex going off on me for being a dumb ass," he said quietly.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone for now, but please, don't just run off…"

"I won't…"


	138. Chapter 138

**Chapter Twenty-One: But Sometimes It Hurts Instead…**

 **Adam's POV**

 _My dearest Adam,_

 _I haven't much time but I wanted to make sure that Sebastian received this letter from me to be delivered to you before he left for the trip back to Persia. I'm working as hard as I can to get you out of there, but it's difficult to do anything short of starting a war, and that is the one thing I'm desperately trying to avoid._

 _Since you're last letter, I have continued to fight. Without you I've been lost and alone with this dread lingering in my heart that I would never see or hear from you again. But I'm fighting. I'm fighting for you and I won't give up until you're back home, safe in my arms. Everyone here is praying for your return…_

 _I love you, Adam. And I'm sorry this note is so short. I promise, if Sebastian brings me another response from you, I will have another for you, longer and more meaningful, but I hope this suffices for now. Be strong, darling. May the Gods watch over you._

 _With eternal love,_

 _Drake_

I must have read the letter at least a dozen times over. This was my second gift from Drake and it meant the most to me. After my first letter to him, the only response I'd gotten was an elaborately detailed gold bangle from my husband—Sebastian told me it was the only thing he could give me in such a short amount of time. I'd sent back another short note of thanks, and this was the response to that.

I sighed softly, pressing the paper to my lips. The ink was neatly scrawled into Drake's delicate handwriting, and I could only imagine him sitting at a table with a pen in hand, his artistry flowing even as he wrote. I wiped away the tears before folding the paper back up, tucking it safely into the small envelope that it had come in. It was plain with the exception of the tattoo of my name drawn on the front side.

Slipping it under the pillow of my cot, I laid down and rested my head over it. My heart was full with love, almost to the point that I was sure it would burst and I couldn't suppress the smile that stretched itself across my lips. I wrapped my arms tight around myself, curling up into a tiny ball as I let the words tumble around my head and curve around my heart and soul.

Before I knew it I began to doze, and in my state of near unconsciousness, I dreamed that Drake was there, pressed tight to my chest with his head over my heart. He just listened to it, listened to the steady beat and tapped his fingers to it against my skin. I smiled at him, leaving a warm kiss in his hair.

In my dream, Drake and I were lying together in our bed, but the space around us was limitless. It was dark and warm, comfortable like Egyptian heat in that early evening limbo, where it's starting to cool but it hasn't begun that near-freezing drop just yet. That quiet comfort where nothing can pull you from that sweet trance of pure bliss. Drake and I were there, perfectly content to be in one another's arms.

" _When are you coming home?_ " He asked me, his fingers still tapping to the beat of my heart. I sighed softly, tightening my arms around him, pulling him closer than he had been before. I wish I'd had a definite answer for him, but I couldn't give him one. I didn't have one, because I didn't know when I'd be home… if I'd ever make it home…

" _Soon, I hope.. very soon, love._ " I told him, my lips brushing against his forehead gently as I spoke. Drake whined softly, his fingertips tapping gently.

" _Why not now? Tonight?_ " I smiled and sighed softly.

" _It's a little more complicated than just getting up and leaving, love. If I could, I'd do it. But I can't…_ "

" _You can fly away and hide in the stars, and I'll come and find you… Just fly away, Adam… Fly away and be free and I'll find you there…_ "

" _You're proposing I fly away to heaven, and I refuse to leave without you if I go there…_ " Drake smiled softly, pressing a kiss to my chest.

" _I'll find you in heaven, and I'll bring you back to Egypt. Or maybe I'll stay there with you, where we can live together forever…_ "

" _Forever in heaven?_ " I inquired, and Drake smiled, nodding once.

" _Forever, where nothing can touch us. Age will not mar us, our strength and will is limitless, and we can have anything we want… We can want nothing at all, or we can want everything, and it'll be ours…_ "

" _I'd like that…_ " I murmured, leaving a soft kiss against his cheek. Drake smiled at me, his bright blue eyes shining despite the darkness of the space around us. " _If I could go to you, I would… But I can't._ " Drake sighed heavily.

" _It's not fair… It's just not fair._ "

" _I know, my love… but I'll be home before you know.. I promise._ " Drake nodded once before leaning up to kiss me sweetly. At first I moaned, kissing him back as tenderly as I could manage in my dream, but something felt off, strange. The more Drake and I kissed in my dream, the more he felt… wrong, to me. Like.. it wasn't Drake. It wasn't my lover, but someone else. He felt and tasted wrong and yet I kept kissing him because I couldn't bring myself to pull away.

I reached up, cupping his cheek. But his face felt wrong. Drake's facial structure—I'd memorized the feel of it in the years of our marriage, and even long before that—was soft and boyish even in his age, but now he felt… old. Muscular and blockish, and not like the soft delicate boy he always was. Plus, there was stubble. Scruffy, awful, scratchy stubble…

Frowning, I pulled away, opening my eyes. But it was not Drake I looked up. There was no limitless darkness or comfortable bed, there was no quiet calm or warmth. There was only cold and dirt and Derek's hard eyes gleaming down at me as a shit-eating smirk pulled at his lips. It took me a moment to realize I was not longer sleeping, no longer dreaming, and another moment to realize that in my dream I had kissed Drake, but in reality, in body, I'd kissed Derek…

Derek laughed when I launched off of my cot and crawled to the corner of the cell to vomit. I didn't really vomit, either. Dry heaves wracked my stomach and bile came flowing from my throat, burning with a ferocity that left my eyes watering. Shivers send tremors racing down my spine and along my nerves and Derek wouldn't stop laughing…

"Awww… is poor, little, cocksucking Pharaoh a needy bitch?" Derek sneered and I merely curled up in the corner, wrapping my arms around my knees. I felt utterly sick to my stomach that my dreams controlled me so much to the point that I was acting out in physical body… with Derek…

"Huh? Is the sad little bitch missing his fuck toy?" I scowled, looking away from Derek, trying my best to ignore him. I could normally ignore his horrendous comments and the beatings he gave me, but Derek's presence made my skin crawl. Ever since the last time he invaded my cell, I felt edgy and dirty all the time, even when Sebastian came in to help give me sponge baths.

"Go away…" I grumbled softly, shaking gently as I tightened my arms around myself. Derek growled at me, lashing out and grabbing a hold of my hair. I hissed, wanting to claw at him but knowing better than to fight back I kept my arms around myself.

"Wanna run that by me again, you little whore?"He snarled at me, his breath rank with alcohol. I wanted to gag and vomit in his face, but I held the urge back. I didn't want any trouble, I just wanted to be left alone…

"I said, do you wanna run that by me again. You. Whore." Derek growled, louder than before, pulling on my hair. I whined loudly, unwrapping my arms, but I didn't push him away. I didn't fight.

"Do I need to teach you another fucking lesson, you dirty skank?!" Derek shouted, his saliva hitting my face in a faint mist as he spoke. I grimaced, squeezing my eyes shut to block out his image. I couldn't help but listen to him and feel his hand in my hair, but I wouldn't look at him.. I couldn't.

Derek's large hand curled around my jaw, his fingertips pressing hard into my cheek and I whined. It was mostly healed, but there was still an underlying level of pain where he'd slapped me before, and his fingers digging into the same spot certainly wasn't helping me in the slightest. I shut my eyes tighter, whining louder until he shove me out into the open floor of my cell.

My elbows collided with the stone and I cried out softly, facing the floor, half-turned onto my side. Pain was shooting up and down my arms, throbbing lightly in my face. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Derek's shadow looming over me, and I froze in fear, trying to relax in the event of a blow.

Nothing came at first, with the exception of his boot pressing down into the center of my back, forcing me flat on my stomach and chest. I coughed as he forced the breath from my lungs, and my dirty and chipped nails clawed at the stone. I felt his weight shift and he knelt down before shoving my legs apart.

My heart stopped dead in my chest. No, he couldn't… He couldn't do this… He couldn't do this to me. At least not now. I hadn't done anything wrong, anything to warrant this! Oh, Gods, no.. please, no, don't let him do this to me. I shut my eyes, hiding my face against the cold stone as Derek gripped the loose and raggedy fabric of my shorts—they were full trousers once, but they'd been torn so many times, they clung around my now-thin thighs—and pulled down as hard as he could. Air kissed my backside and I whimpered, digging my nails into the stone.

"For being an old cocksucker, you've got a really nice ass…" Derek groaned softly, his voice getting husky and deep. "And cocksuckers with nice asses really love getting filled…" He continued, and I heard the shuffle of something be pulled from within fabric. My heart was pounding like a wild and distraught drum beat as tears gathered in my eyes. He couldn't… he couldn't…he—

I cried out as something forced its way inside of me, but I knew instantly that it wasn't Derek. It wasn't… _him_ that was shoved into me. It was something cold, metallic almost and far too big for me. I clenched my jaw and swallowed a scream as he shoved the object deeper, painfully ramming it into that spot within me. No amount of pleasure that I might have found before could overcome the pain as black dots danced across my vision.

I felt it withdraw before being shoved back in, and I cried out a little louder, a little hoarser. A moment later Derek's fingers curled through my hair and pulled as hard as he could, forcing me to arch into the floor as he raped me with whatever it was he had in his possession. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I screamed prayers in my mind; prayers for strength and desperate pleas that I would survive this torture…

Each stab and thrust with the object left me curling deeper into myself. Screams tore from my lips as Derek ravaged my shoulders and my neck with his teeth, leaving his marks in my skin. Deep inside myself, I dug my way through a massive black hole, creating a cavern in which I crawled before beginning to bury myself inside. I didn't get very far, I'd only managed to bury myself half way when Derek withdrew the object completely, wiping it clean on the back of my shirt.

"Dirty skank. I was being nice. Next time I won't be." He snarled, giving me one rough kick to the ribs before leaving me. Shakily, automatically, I reached down and tugged my shorts back up. I didn't have to inspect to know that he'd ripped me open, that I was bleeding. I could feel it. I could feel myself bleeding down my thighs, like my soul was trickling out with it.


	139. Chapter 139

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Everyone Wants to Change the World but No One Wants to Try  
Drake's POV**

It had been quite some time since Hiei came to see me and I was still, more or less, locked up in my room, but being alone was finally starting to take its toll on me. Yes, I could focus on what I was going to do to save Adam, and I could format my ideas and plans far more easily than I could with other people around, but for the last four or five days I really wasn't coming up with anything new. I was just repeating ideas that had already occurred to me and I was writing them down with different words to make them sound different. Twins that weren't identical on the surface, but, get them together, they are so obviously twins; it's really not debatable.

Sighing, I gathered up all of the stray papers from my bed, putting them in an order that probably only made sense to me and put them into a neat stack on my vanity, followed by my notebook which had become more like my obsession than anything else. I felt like Moriarty keeping a record of his detailed plans in a tiny book that only truly made sense to me and anyone smart enough to crack the codes that my brain cleverly spun up. I set the drawing of my tattoo Adam had sent to me on top of the stack.

Today I was going to leave my room, have lunch and dinner with my friends and family and attend my evening meeting with Cassidy, Alex and a few more advisers from allied countries. I knew that it was, more or less, pointless, but who knows, maybe something along the lines of a plan to get my husband back from Persia, but I kind of doubted it. However, I was in a relatively good mood because if we didn't figure out some way to help Adam from here, I had a backup plan. I was going to get Adam back home and into my arms again, even if it was the last thing I ever did in this life.

Stretching, I padded my way across the vast expansions of my room, shedding Adam's robe on the way to the bathroom. I'd been so wrapped up in my planning and my endless thoughts racing through my mind, it hadn't even occurred to me that I needed to bathe before I could leave my room. I couldn't really smell much, but I was sure I didn't smell too pleasant, so I ran a hot bath, filling it with vanilla soaps and salts before finally sinking into the comforting warm embrace of the water.

As I cleansed myself I could feel healed scars from the day I was trapped in that bloody wall in the pyramids. I tried not to linger on the memories those tiny scars brought back, because I didn't want to ruin my halfway decent mood, but I just kept watching those blasted Persian soldiers knock Adam out and drag him away while I stood helpless behind that wall, watching in horror.

Part of me wished that I had died in that tomb. Part of me dwelled on the possibility of me starving to death in that dark, freezing room. If I hadn't dug my way through that wall, I would have died of starvation. If not by starvation, probably grave robbers. I'd heard the gruesome stories about what grave robbers would do to people they crossed paths with. I only imagined that I probably would have been raped repeatedly until one of them slit my throat. It was gruesome to think about, but when I was really lonely… When I was so depressed, I believed I would never get to see Adam again, I wished something like that happened to me. At least I would have suffered like Adam was suffering now and… And then we could go to the afterlife and be together…

But I didn't want Adam to give up on life, so I couldn't give up either. I had to keep fighting.

As I rinsed the soap from my hair, I realized just how deep in thought I was and when I opened my eyes, the memories faded, but bright colorful dots spotted my vision. Sighing, I pulled myself from the hot water, no matter how much I liked the comfort of the warmth encasing my body; I promised myself I was going to leave my room today. I'd missed breakfast, but lunch was still a couple of hours away. I planned on going to see my mother; because I knew I was worrying her sick by staying locked away like some princess locked away in tower.

I dressed in a pair of red shorts with a white and red sheer tunic covering my ink-covered top half, finishing with gold sandals and one of Adam's gold, short robes. It hung around my knees and I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows, but the robe smelled like Adam and that in and of itself gave me comfort. My makeup was very, very basic, just enough to cover the worry lines and bags under my eyes. I never got too elaborate with my makeup anymore, unless new messages and proposals from Persia came. In instances like that, I needed to look as regal as possible, but otherwise it just didn't matter. I had no one to look gorgeous for.

Once I left my room, I found myself walking towards my studio. It hadn't been touched in ages, since before Adam had been taken and I didn't really realize where I was heading until I pushed the studio door open and stepped into the circular room. Finished and half finished canvases littered the shelves and sat against the walls. A few sculptures were sitting on the cabinets. I liked sculpting, but not quite as much as painting. Painting and drawing were my passions.

"Drake?" a soft voice said from behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin as I spun around, finding my mother looking at some of my sculptures. Or, at least, she had been before I came in.

"Mama?" I asked quietly, taking a few steps forward. Sometimes it was pathetic how much I needed the comfort of my mother. I was a grown man for fuck's sake, but having her hug me and pull me to her smaller frame always made me feel better, even if I was in tears, sobbing like a child. "What are you doing in here?" I asked and she smiled at me.

"I come here a lot to think. Your art is truly inspiring," she said quietly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Seeing the beautiful things you've created gives me hope when I feel… like nothing can go right. I've been really worried about you these last few weeks. Even more so that I have been since Adam's disappearance…" She pressed a gentle kiss to my temple, pulling me to sit with her on a bench by the window, overlooking the garden and Anna's memorial.

"I'm sorry I've been locked up in my room, Mama, I've just been so consumed in trying to figure out how to rescue Adam… I just, I can't take this for much longer. I need to save him, I need him back…" I said quietly and she nodded, pulling me close to her. I put my head down on her shoulder and she slowly stroked my hair, brushing it away from my face.

"I know darling, I know… You're going to get him back. I know you will. You're too strong and will driven to not get him back and, to be completely honest, you are too stubborn and hard headed to let Emir beat you. Things are tough right now and you are in pain because your other half is gone, I know that. We all know that, but you aren't going to let that pain get the better of you because you've never let your pain and your misery win. When you were a child and my husband-" she was saying. She finally stopped using the term "your father" since that man wasn't my father. "—Treated you so horribly, you never gave up. You kept pushing to win his approval and after he passed away you did everything you could to support us."

"And I failed in that, mom," I said quietly.

"No… You didn't. It took a while, but now we're living like royalty because we are royalty, because of you and everything you've accomplished," she said quietly, kissing my temple again.

"Mama, all I did was sleep with the Pharaoh… I haven't accomplished all that much," I explained bluntly.

Mama sighed softly, kissing me again. I think it was just an impulse for her because even though I was the Pharaoh of Egypt now, I was still her baby. "That's not true, Drake. You didn't just sleep with him; you made him fall in love with you. You've become such a successful artist and an icon to all of Egypt. You're so much more than the Pharaoh's bed mate…"

Even though I didn't entirely believe her, I smiled anyway. If I wasn't missing Adam so much, I probably would have been a little keener on believing her. "Thank you," I said softly, taking one of her hands into my own. I was scared, but she comforted me to the extent that no one else could and she was so good at it, it was almost a little frightening.

"You're welcome, my beautiful boy…" she said quietly. I didn't feel beautiful. I couldn't see the person I was when Adam was with me all the time when I looked in the mirror. I saw someone broken and alone, someone hard and pretending to be something he wasn't, but no one else saw that and I just couldn't understand it… Why did no one else see what I clearly was?

"Can I ask you something, Mama?" I asked quietly, almost like a whisper.

"Of course, baby, anything at all," she said softly. I knew she would be open to talk to me, but the subject I had in mind was probably going to be a little touchy for her. I needed to know though, I had to know, I had to ask…

"What was my father like?" I asked, not curious at all about her husband. I knew him personally and I hated him personally as well. I wanted to know about my biological father, the man I never got to meet and probably never would get to meet. It was only normal for a fatherless child to seek this sort of information and with the absence of my husband, I needed something to fill the giant hole that was longing and missing in my heart.

"Oh… Well, Drake, honestly, he was just like you," he said quietly. "You look more like your father than you look like me. He was the love of my life… And I wanted to be with him so much, but his father promised his hand in marriage to another girl and I was promised to the man you thought was your dad."

"Why didn't you ever tell me before, Mama?" I asked softly, frowning a little. "It would have made me feel better about him hating me so much…"

"I know, I know… I will never forgive him for hurting you so much, but I was with your father for one night. For a while, I just wanted to pretend that you weren't his, even though I knew you were… I wanted my husband to love you like he loved the rest of his children, but he knew all along that you weren't his… He knew that I wasn't a virgin the first night we spent being intimate and I had you too soon in our marriage for you to be his…"

"Yes, but… my father, my real father? What was he like? What did he do?" I asked. Even if I didn't get to meet him, I wanted to know everything I could know about him. That would, well; at least it would make me kind of closer to him, like I could feel like I really knew him.

"He was a doctor," she said quietly. "A loving, gentle man who would have loved you so much more than anyone else in the world. He helped anyone who needed medical attention, even if they couldn't afford to pay him. He was such a good man… I see him in you every single day."

"So… he was like me? Or, I guess, I'm like him?" I asked and she smiled.

"So much… He was creative too, but his artist abilities pale in comparison to yours. You are kind of like… Well, you turned out to be just like him, just a different career choice, really. I never wanted to sway you're decisions. I wanted you to be your own person and you are, but you really are a spitting image of your father… I wish you grew up with him, but you already know him. He is in your heart, just like I am and just like Anna is and Adam too," she whispered, laying a hand over the center of my chest.

Reaching up, I carefully put a hand over hers, trying not to shake with the sudden tears that were swarming my eyes. "Thank you, Mama…" I said quietly. I would want more details eventually, but right now I didn't really think I could handle more. She pulled me close, kissing me gently and holding me like she was protecting me from the world, which, really, she was.

"You're welcome, darling…" she whispered. "You know I will always be here for you and even if you're almost thirty, you are still my baby boy."

I gave her a bashful smile, a light blush spreading across my cheeks. "I know, mama, I know…"


	140. Chapter 140

**Chapter Twenty-Three: All That I'm After Is A Life Full Of Laughter**

 **Roza's POV**

In the six plus years that I'd come to know Adam, I found it harder and harder to deal with the knowledge every day that he was gone; that he wasn't here at the palace in Egypt, wandering the halls like he so often did; that he wasn't spending time with my youngest sons like they were his own little brothers and that he wasn't with Drake, his beloved husband and my first born.

Thinking about their relationship just made it worse though, because I wasn't sure what I was more upset over—the fact that Adam was missing from the place he belonged, or the fact that my oldest son and my King was so distraught over his disappearance that he shut himself away for days at a time.

But I understood Drake's disposition perfectly. I'd been in that state of mind and being before. Before I'd gotten married, I had been deeply in love with the man who fathered my first child. I wanted to be with him more than anyone else, and would have been willing to leave my arranged marriage to live with and love him forever had it not been for the fact that I was, at the time, rather terrified of my soon-to-be husband. He came off as a very imposing and demanding man, but when I grew to know him, I discovered he wasn't like that at all. But, even then, his affections couldn't compare to what my true love had given me.

Even through the brief eleven years of my marriage, my husband never replaced the desire I still had for Drake's father. But I never showed it, for I was meant to be a proper wife and mother, and had no wish to compromise the near-happiness our household had. I grew to love my husband in a way, but it wasn't the same. I could never fully be happy with him, in any regard, for how he treated Drake. It always pained me to see my son, my darling boy, try so hard to please the man he thought was his father, only to be crushed over and over.

I could remember all the times I tried to reason with my husband, begging and pleading for him to accept Drake's efforts at the very least. To accept that, while he was not his biological son, he was still part of the family and deserved the same respect that he gave his other children. But my husband never agreed to it. He thought of Drake as an abomination and wanted nothing to do with him. I'm still certain, even to this day, that the only reason he didn't completely remove Drake from his sights was because he knew I loved Drake dearly. He knew I would die for my son, and he didn't want to lose me.

Since living in the palace and seeing my son and his lover's passion grow, I had begun to think less of my deceased husband and more of Drake's father. Drake looked so much like his father now in ways that I had never imagined before. When Drake was a young, supple boy of eighteen, he still harbored the features that I had given him. The boyish face, the bright blue eyes and soft smile. But now, as a man, as a _leader_ , he reminded me so much of his father that I, on rare occasion, would almost call out his father's name instead of his own. But his hair and his pride would stop me, as well as my own better judgment.

But looking upon Drake now, it was hard to see anything other than his grief. He loved Adam more than anything else, more than his own life, I was certain, and it was killing him to rule in Adam's place. It was killing him to know that his lover was imprisoned somewhere, no doubt being tortured and mocked… I didn't want to think about the horrible things that the Persians must have been doing to Adam, but I'd overheard Cassidy and Alexander speaking of King Emir's tactics when regarding prisoners, and none of it was ever pretty.

I sighed softly, setting my needlework down on my lap for a moment, resting my head against the back of my rocking chair. I was in my room, located on the first floor of the palace, where most of the rooms were, with a window to face the south side, a clear view of the bazaar just in the short distance. The sun cast a lovely warm glow into my room, the rich purples and blues practically glowing in the heat.

My bed, a lovely full sized with short posts on each of the four legs, sat tucked in the north-east corner of the room, fluffed pillows and thick blankets tucked neatly on top of it. A small side table was perched beside it with a glass lamp, painted delicately with hieroglyphics. A massive wardrobe with more hieroglyphs carved into it sat on the east wall, my chair across the room from it on the west wall with another side table beside it. A large area rug of blue and gold nearly covered the stone floor.

There were murals painted onto the north and west walls, each elegantly detailed and signed in the left corner by my son. He felt it was necessary to paint my room for me, and when he had finished I understood why. The mural on the north wall was an elaborate replica of Anna's mural, which was located in the gardens just beside the window-entrance to Drake's art studio. But instead of a stone figure of my youngest daughter, it was actually Anna, clutching a small kitten in her hands with a soft and rosy smile on her face. There were hieroglyphics painted all around her, detailing her life and how she was the perfect daughter and sister, so humble and sweet, gentle and loving.

The west wall was a family portrait, in a sense. Adam and Drake were in the center, with myself on Drake's side and Eric on Adam's. Hayden and Jonah stood in front of Eric and Adam while Amalia stood beside me. Cassidy stood slightly behind Amalia with Hiei beside my eldest daughter, in front of Cassidy. Beside Eric stood Alexander with Tommy just slightly in front of him. Adam's father and mother, as well as who I could only guess to be his little brother, were painted behind Adam and Drake, up in the clouds as if they were looking over the entire family.

I was never sure which painting touched me more, the family portrait or the massive mural of my long deceased daughter Anna. Sometimes it would be one and sometimes the other, but I loved them both equally. When Drake had first showed them to me, I nearly burst into tears out of gratitude and happiness. Even now, staring upon them in the warm light of the afternoon, I could feel the sting of tears. I missed Anna like nothing else, but Adam was just as much of my child as Anna had been, and to see him forever captured into my room but not mine and my son's life was almost more than I could possibly bear.

I set my needlework aside on the table, standing slowly from my chair. My joints felt stiff and I knew it was time for another leisurely stroll through the palace. I might have only been in my forties, but my body understood that I was getting on in years, and having had five children in my youth didn't help that equation any. I started to turn away from the window and go to the door when I stopped. Frowning some, I crossed closer to the massive window, resting my hands on the sill to peer closer.

In addition to the bazaar, I could see the front steps of the palace, leading up towards the throne room, and there were four people ascending the stairs. Three of them were dressed in black and light armor, bearing guns on their hips as they walked in a triangular formation behind the fourth man. When my gaze shifted to linger on the individual in front, I nearly collapsed in shock.

The man was rather tall and well built, looking to be in his late thirties or early forties. I knew for a fact that he was in his forties, though. I knew him… His hair was long, lusciously chocolaty in the sun, but I could see streaks of grey hair in the roots. He wore a dark green shirt with black cuffed sleeves ending at his elbows and long black pants, a bag slung over his shoulder. Lightly tanned skin stretched itself over his frame and I raised a hand to cover my mouth.

It couldn't have been. It couldn't… Judging by the formation and the bag, I could only assume that it was the Persians with another proposal for my son, but… but why would he be working for them? How could he? Why wasn't he here, home in Egypt with his wife, living the life he was arranged to have? Why was he with _Persians_?

Turning away from the window, I hurried from my room as fast as I could, my sandals shuffling against the stone as I raced down the hall. I was, by no means, in the prime of my life, but I was still active for my age. Children had put weight on my bones, but that didn't stop me from rushing down towards the throne room. My heart pounded in my chest as my thoughts raced and yet they were only screaming one thing; _why_?

I raced past servants and scholars, apologizing to them as I blew past. I normally wasn't one to be in such a hurry to go places within the palace, but this was of dire importance. Even if I couldn't talk to him, or even get _near_ him, I had to see him. I had to know if it was really him or if the sun was playing tricks, if my own desperate heart was fooling me into some sort of security.

My breathing was light as I neared the throne room doors. They were wide open, and I could hear soft talking. I slowed my pace, pushing my hair away as I walked forward, poking my head into the massive room. In the center, near the throne, Drake stood facing the messenger as the man pulled a stack of papers from the bag on his shoulder. The Persian soldiers stood not ten feet away, watching intently. Cassidy and Alexander stood protectively behind Drake, watching and waiting for anything that might go wrong.

I bit down on my lip, my gaze studying the messenger. It was him. There was no denying it, it was _him_ , but why? I watched as Drake nonchalantly pulled something from the robe he was wearing when the soldiers glanced away, and he slipped it along under the pile of papers and into the messengers hand with a small file that I could only assume was related to the proposal. The messenger bowed his head, filing the papers away in his bag. His eyes lingered on Drake's face, as if he wanted to stay.

Gods, it was him… it was so clear in front of me that I wanted so badly to hurry out to him, to beg him to stay. Beg to know and to understand why he was with Persians and not here in his native country. But I couldn't. I was frozen until the messenger bowed again and turned away from my son, walking away slowly with the soldiers. I pushed forward, stepping into the throne room, watching them leave out into the wild heat of the afternoon.

I neared my son, still looking out to where the soldiers and the messenger had left. "Drake?" I inquired, finally tearing my gaze away from the open arches to look at my son. "Who was that?"

Drake sighed softly as he flipped through the file of papers. He looked disappointed and, if I was not mistaken, rather bored. "No one, Mama. Just a few rude Persian soldiers and a messenger with another proposal.." He commented. He continued to sift through before he seemed to find what he was looking for, and pulled a small envelope from the middle of the stack, tucking it into his robe.

"The messenger seemed familiar…" I commented, hoping to be vaguely curious and nothing more, but my heart was pounding.

"Oh… he's an Egyptian, enslaved and forced to work for Emir… he's been delivering messages from Adam to me from Persia, and a strong ally for us as long as he doesn't get caught.." I nodded.

"His name?"

"Sebastian."

 _Sebastian…_ Oh, Gods…


	141. Chapter 141

**Chapter Twenty-Four: If I Wanted to Go, I Would Have Gone By Now  
Eric's POV**

Not seeing my brother for weeks was truly starting to worry me. He finally came out to have lunch with us today and a small black cat wearing a gold collar followed him. When he sat in his spot at the head of the table, the cat jumped up into his lap and curled up, like he was protecting Drake from something. I wasn't sure where the cat came from. I'd never seen it before, but it certainly seemed to be attached to Drake.

I wanted to talk to my brother before he got a chance to lock himself in his room again, but as soon as lunch was over, Cassidy and Alex took him before I even had a chance to stand up. Drake walked out of the dining hall with the cat in his arms and his advisers on his hips and I sighed as everyone stood to leave the dining hall. I sat there for a long time in silence, believe that I was alone, but when I finally lifted by eyes from the empty plate in front of me, I saw Sauli sitting across the table and a few seats over.

"Why are you still here?" I asked softly, simply curious, not offensive or anything. He smiled sheepishly and, if I wasn't mistake, there was a soft sort of blush on his face.

"I suppose I could ask you the same question, now couldn't I?" he asked me and I rolled my eyes, smiling a little. I couldn't really explain it, but when Sauli and I were alone together it was just… comfortable and fun, even though we didn't know each other all that well yet.

"Well, I asked you first, didn't I?" I asked him, smiling in his direction and he definitely was blushing now. He stood up; walking slowly around the table to he could sit in the chair next to me. Normally I sat next to my sister and my mother, and Sauli sat on the other side of the table, away from me, so we couldn't talk during meals, but now he was right next to me.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay… Everyone got up to leave and you were just sitting here, staring at your plate even though there wasn't any food on it," he said, frowning a little. "Are you all right? Is there something going on?"

"No, not really," I said, shrugging some. "I've just been worried about my brother… And I was hoping that I would get to talk to him before he left, you know, to make sure he was all right and to find out what was going on with him and with Adam. But Cass and Alex got to him first and hauled him off and away… So I kind of just sat here, because I don't have anywhere to go and nothing to do…"

"I'm sure Drake is all right. He seemed rather happy today, despite the situation he's in. And he's got an adorable new kitty," Sauli said and he was just so sweet and innocent sounding even though he was my age and he'd been a sex slave before he was brought here. He definitely wasn't innocent but he played the role well... Almost too well.

"I know, I know, it's just, as his brother… I worry about him and I just want to hear it from him that everything is okay, or even better than okay, getting better," I said, frowning a little. Since I had gained such a huge respect for my older brother, I felt horrible for how I treated him when my family and I first came to live here, right before Drake and Adam married. I had been so mean to him, I called him a failure and I told him that my father was right when he said that Drake was worthless. I was a horrible brother and now, whenever I got really worried about Drake, I felt even guiltier in a way.

"How about you and I find something to do? Get your mind off of your brother for now? You can talk to him at dinner; I think he'll be coming out more and more now. He's gotten as far as he can on his own. Now he needs his friends and his family," Sauli said and stood up, standing next to my chair, as if waiting for me to join him.

I smiled a little, standing to join him. "And don't forget his cat," I added and we laughed, walking out of the dining hall together, walking side by side. "So what did you have in mind for what to do?" I asked because I was, more or less, following his lead. I didn't really have any ideas; I just wanted to know that my brother was okay.

But he was the Pharaoh and had Pharaoh related business to attend to so I needed to wait until it was good for him, not for me.

"I was kind of thinking of a walk through the gardens?" he suggested. "Or, perhaps, a visit to the market? I haven't been there yet but I see it all the time and I would… really like to go," he said, a soft blush still painting his cheeks.

"We can go to the bazaar," I told him. "They have a lot of interesting things there… We could take a look around. It's a great way to pass time and it'll give you a chance to get out of the palace and explore a little."

He smiled like a little kid and took my hand without really thinking about it, practically pulling me towards the front of the palace. "The palace in and of itself is truly an adventure, but I'd really love to explore more of Egypt. I've spent my whole life in Persia and this is the first time I've ever been out of the country and free to do whatever I want to do!" he said and I knew he was excited, so I wasn't going to burst his bubble, even if shopping was not the first thing I had in mind for what to do with the rest of the day.

I followed him down the front steps of the palace, towards the giant marketplace that was laid out just before the grand quarters of the Pharaoh and every Pharaoh before him. I didn't let my mind linger on that because then I would start worrying about my brother all over again and I would think about Adam, who I missed dearly and was extremely worried about. While those thoughts always lingered in the back of my mind, I wanted to have a nice day out of the palace and just… relax. Get away from my problems and everyone else's problems and just relax.

The bazaar was literally a five minute walk from the palace and when we stepped in, I had a hard time keeping up with Sauli because he was just so excited by anything and everything that caught his eye. Everything from shining jewelry and glittering gems to beautiful hand sewn tapestries caught his attention. It wasn't really that he desired to buy these things, at least I didn't think so, I think he was just admiring beautiful craftsmanship that he hadn't really been exposed to.

He had told me about Emir's palace in Persia. He said it was nothing like the palace we lived in. Ours was decorated with beautiful art and priceless artifacts. Emir's was cold and dull… Like the entire palace was really more of a prison, but Emir was more of a dictator than I leader, so I supposed it fit his personality. Sauli was fascinated by anything beautiful and it was really kind of adorable. He had such a huge appreciation for beauty and it reminded me of my big brother.

"This place is so amazing. I've never seen anything like this," he said and I frowned a little as we walked. Once in a while, I would purchase something from one of the small stands. Mostly they were things I thought would be nice for the palace in general, but I found a few little things that I thought my brother would love, like a new earring and such. It wasn't that I loved shopping, I just had the money and thought that maybe a little bit of cheer would go a long way with Adam being away. Normally I wasn't one to go shopping at all, let alone actually buy something.

"You really never got out much, did you, Sauli?" I asked, frowning further. It made me feel bad for him, really, because he hadn't had a life up until recently. He spent his whole life with his legs spread for perverts because he was forced to. Even if he didn't consider that his past was full of rape and abuse, I knew it was true. I think he was just trying to keep a positive mindset because if he allowed himself to believe he had been raped and abused by dozens of Persians, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle it.

"No, I didn't," he said, frowning a little. "I was only allowed to leave the palace when someone who… required my services was going on an extended trip. I got to go on a few, but none of them were outside of Persia and even when I did leave the palace, I wasn't allowed to roam. I usually had to stay in the hotel room or something… I've never gotten to just go out and explore on my own or with a friend or anything and this is just… I know it probably doesn't mean much to you at all, but it means the world to me," he said softly, a smiling stretching across his beautiful, full lips. "I hope I'm not being too much of a sap, but thank you for coming with me… It's really made this a wonderful experience…"

"Oh, Sauli, you don't have to thank me… I was happy to do it, really," I said softly and he smiled brightly at me, a youthful innocence hovering over him. Really, it had been with him ever since lunch and I found myself… wanting it more than I should have…

"I know I don't because you're a really nice guy, but it really does mean so much to me…" he said, blushing a little. We were standing in a large tent that sold beautiful handmade jewelry, clothes, robes, makeup and toiletries and Sauli wandered over to a case of earrings and ear cuffs. He was truly just amazed by everything and it was so adorable…

Wait, what? Adorable? No, he wasn't adorable, at least not to me. I mean… I wasn't even fucking gay! Now I was thinking another man was adorable? Another man that, even though we hung out, I really didn't know all that much about? No, this was not okay…

"See something you like?" I asked to get my mind off of the current thoughts invading it. Sauli was gazing hard at the case, looking at everything that was glittering under the glass.

"It's all so beautiful, really," he said but I could see that he kept looking at one particular cartilage cuff that was gold. There were hieroglyphics carved into the cuff itself and an Eye of Horus dangled from it, with a green gem as the pupil. "I've never seen such beautifully crafted jewelry," he said after a while and made his way around the tent, looking at all of the merchandise. I knew this was one of Drake's favorite venders and I could certainly see why.

Once Sauli was on the other side of the tent, I called the vender over and asked him for the Eye of Horus cuff and he pulled it out for me. I paid for it and he didn't even make me pay full price because I was related to Drake, whom he knew on a first name basis and I went over to Sauli, handing him the cuff. "You were looking at this quite a lot," he said quietly and Sauli blushed, looking down at it before reaching up to place it in his ear.

"I didn't think you noticed that…" he said quietly and he turned to me, smiling and the earring looked beautiful in his ear. "Thank you… it's so beautiful…" he said quietly and he looked up into my eyes, leaning up a little so the distance between our faces slowly got smaller and I found myself leaning in towards him without even thinking.

Our lips were only inches away when I heard my sister's voice. "Eric? What are you doing here? You never come to the market!" she said and I instantly pulled away from Sauli, turning to my younger sister.

"Oh, Sauli and I were just… trying to pass the time," I said, hoping to the Gods that I wasn't blushing. When my sister interrupted us, I realized what almost just happened and it scared me. No… It didn't just scare me, it freaked me out because I shouldn't have had these feelings but I did and I didn't have anyone to talk to about them…

Fuck.


	142. Chapter 142

**Chapter Twenty-Five: I Can Be Obnoxious At Times…**

 **Tommy's POV**

"Cassidy, what are we going to do?" I asked, running my fingers through my hair. Normally it wasn't my place as a servant to converse political business with the Pharaoh's advisers, but our disposition was incredibly challenging, and Cassidy needed someone to vent to about proposals.

Cassidy sighed, tossing the various pieces of paper down onto the table. We were in a quiet corner in the library, the midday heat bearing through the floor to ceiling windows, illuminating our table. We'd been in here for the better part of the last four hours and hadn't really accomplished anything. Alex was sick with a stomach ache and I had offered to help Cassidy try to make sense of the proposals. So far there wasn't much that Emir wanted that we hadn't already given him… apart from the throne to Egypt…

"I don't know. Emir and Drake are repeating their demands, making a few changes here and there, but nothing major. Emir wants Drake's throne and Drake wants Adam returned safe, sound and alive. Neither are complying with what the other truly wants. Not that I can blame Drake for denying Emir," Cassidy mumbled, rubbing his eyes a little.

"However I can blame Emir all I desire. His men kidnapped Adam and are probably beating and torturing him as we speak, yet he refuses to return Adam to us. This is a perfect call for war…" Cassidy groaned on and I sighed, palming a hand over his on the table.

"You know we can't. Drake wants to avoid war at all costs and if we go in there with an army… We'll, no doubt, lose all of our allies…" I told him. Cassidy nodded once, slow and understanding. Drake had been battling the decision to declare war ever since Adam had first been taken. Gods, how long had it been now…? Seven, eight months? More? I couldn't be sure. I tried not to pay attention to the passing of time because then I would be painfully reminded that my best friend was missing…

I turned my attention down to the papers before us. They were all scrawled out in neat, black handwriting, though I doubted it was actually Emir's. Drake would only sometimes write parts of it, but the final copies of each proposal was written by either Cassidy or Alex before being delivered to Persia. Each page detailed requests and demands that were all the same just elaborately reworded.

"I know. Believe me, I want to avoid war as much as Drake does, but this… We cannot excuse this. Not any longer. Adam has been missing for months. _Months_. The Pharaoh of Egypt was taken and we should have called for action back when it first happened! Not sit around like old, useless men…" I told him, shoving a few of the papers aside, more towards the center of the table.

"Yes… but… Oh, Gods, I don't know, Tommy. I just don't know anymore. All these demands from Persia have everyone on edge.. we don't know if Adam is alive or not and we'll probably never know until he's dumped on the front stairs of our palace.."

I groaned, standing slowly from my seat. Cassidy stood as well, gathering up all of the papers before tucking them away into the folder that he had brought with him. The sun was beating down on the both of us and I had to push my hair out of my face in order to wipe the sweat away. I was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of shorts and I felt like I was overheating.

Tucking the folder under his arm, Cassidy fell in step beside me as we made our way towards the entrance of the library. As much as I didn't like to think about Adam, possibly, being brought back to us dead, I couldn't help it. The idea would invade my thoughts and haunt me so horribly that sometimes I just couldn't take it.

"Something troubling you, Tommy?" Cassidy asked as we exited the library. I sighed softly, shrugging a shoulder as we walked down the long hallway. There were a multitude of things troubling me, but they were all beyond my reach. Alex's illness was one that just had to run its course, Drake was shutting himself away with the request to be left alone as he poured his waking hours over proposals and plans, and Cassidy seemed utterly torn over everything. He knew Adam the longest. From what I'd learned, he practically grew up with Adam. He wanted to be a good adviser, but it was hard when he was struggling over the safety of his longtime friend.

"Many things," I mumbled softly. "But… one in particular…" I continued, sighing heavily. I tried not to let it bother me but, like the images of Adam, it constantly came up. "What's going to happen to Drake if Adam is brought here…dead?" I asked him.

Cassidy was silent. Utterly silent. We were both very, very aware of Adam and Drake's connection, of their love. It was undeniable for anyone that they were soul mates. It had been so since the day they met, though no one was aware of it yet. That had been years ago, though, when everyone was still young and naïve. Now, we were not so anymore. Now we understood, now we could see.

A soft sigh came from Cassidy as we walked, our feet shuffling lightly against the stone floor. Sunlight came streaking through the open arch ways of the exterior palace wall, warmth filling the hallway. "I'm.. Well, I know what will happen to him as much as I don't want to think about it. I have to hope that, if Adam passes before we can save him, or before he's returned… I have to hope that Drake will persevere. I have to hope and pray to the Gods that he will find the strength to live and rule on…"

"But you know that he won't," I cut in, and Cassidy nodded in my peripheral. "He needs Adam. He needs Adam more than he needs air or food or water. He needs Adam more than he needs his own life and without Adam he withers and dies, little by little. If Adam dies… Drake will, too…"

"Adam wouldn't want that of him," Cassidy muttered.

"Drake wouldn't care at that point. He would look at the situation… He would see his lover, his heart and soul, _gone_ … He would see that there is nothing left for him here and he would want to be with Adam in the After… Sure, he would know that he still has his family and his friends and his country, but…"

"But what?" Cassidy intervened and I sighed.

"Think about it… Think.. if you were taken, missing for many months with little to no knowledge of how you were doing, and you were dumped before Hiei, dead… Do you believe he would have the strength to go on without you?" Cassidy stared hard at me as we walked, our pace slowing some before coming to a complete stop. I knew the idea was hard and unfathomable, but it was true. If he couldn't understand the position Drake was in, I wanted him to consider it for himself and for his lover.

"Do you believe he would go on?" I repeated, and Cassidy swallowed.

"I would want him to." I shook my head.

"What you want and what he wants are two completely different things at this point. If you died, do you believe Hiei would want to live without you?" Cassidy clenched his jaw and gazed upon me with a heavy brown gaze.

"Do you believe Alex would want to live if you died?" I felt my heart ice over.

"Alex lived without Adam, he could live without me."

"And I lived without Brad! Adam lived without Alex and his family before Drake came along! Tommy… You ask whether or not Hiei could live without me… whether or not Drake can live without Adam… You loved Drake, if I remember correctly… You loved him and your heartache weakened you. It weakened you nearly to death, and then you and Alex found one another… Could any of us really live without our soul mates? …it's possible. It would be harder than anything, but it's possible…

"And is it fair to say that Alex could live without you? You obviously forget how intimately all of our lives are locked together. Could I live without Hiei? No… but I would try. Could Alex live without you? No.. but he would try. Could Drake live without Adam… no. I don't fully believe he could, not entirely. But he would try. He knows Adam would want him to. He knows his family would want him to. He would try… isn't that enough?"

I didn't realize I was crying until Cassidy stormed off, leaving me alone in the long stretch of open and warm hallway. As the argument tumbled over and over through my mind, I understood that I had been saying I believed Drake would give up if Adam died, and I wouldn't want that for him… I wouldn't want my best friend to sacrifice his own life and future simply because his loved one was gone…

But I knew I wouldn't be able to blame him if the situation ever came down to it. If Alex died… I would be lost. Just as lost as Drake is now without Adam. And if Cassidy died, or if Hiei went before him, the other wouldn't be able to survive… That much was true. Horrible as it was…

Sighing, I leaned against the wall, letting the tears roll down my cheeks. I must have been a fool to question Cassidy as I had. To bring him and Hiei into the equation to emphasize a point that didn't make much sense to begin with. I reached up, wiping the tears away with a shaking hand as I stared out through one of the archways. The sun was blazing hot and gold over Egypt. Houses, the bazaar, hotels, shops, restaurants, streets, cars, citizens… All of it was laid out before the palace…

I was a fool… To believe that my best friend wouldn't be strong enough to live without Adam… He already was living without Adam, and he was living stronger than ever. Drake might have believed that he was broken only following orders, but he was so strong… He was carrying the weight of Egypt on his shoulders, protecting her and keeping her alive in the absence of the one thing that made him alive…

"I'm sorry, Cassidy…" I muttered to no one. "You were right… He is trying." My words faded in the open air, lost on empty stone and paintings as I stared at the city.


	143. Chapter 143

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Outside These Walls They Know You're Breathing  
Adam's POV**

It had been about two weeks since Derek had raped me with whatever it was he used. I still wasn't entirely sure what it was, but I didn't want to know. My body and my mental stability were both having a hard time recovering from the incident. I was weak from lack of nutrition, exercise, proper sleep and the ability to just go out and feel the sun on my skin. I could still feel the tears that Derek had created inside of me and even though he hadn't actually raped me with his dick, I felt sick and filthy, used, like a worthless whore.

What was even more painful than going through such a horrible five minutes of violation was the memory of Drake's rapes that so often haunted me. I wanted nothing more than to run to my lover and throw myself into his arms just so I could be close to him, just so I could have his arms around me, holding my trembling frame close as he whispered in my ear that it was going to be all right.

While I hadn't been raped by Derek, himself, I began to understand how Drake much have felt when Brad was taking advantage of him. Drake had been so receded and secluded because he was afraid of telling the truth, but when he finally did, all he wanted was the comfort of his lover to know that he was okay and that there was nothing wrong with him, that he hadn't done anything wrong. Back then I didn't understand that desire. I assumed that Drake wouldn't want me to be around him much, let alone touch him because he felt dirty and violated and that it I were to make advances, I would only make things worse, but now I understood.

I wanted nothing more than Drake to come to me, wrap his arms around me and sweep his fingers through my hair in a soothing gesture. I wanted him to kiss me and love me and tell me there was nothing wrong with me, even though I felt like the scum of the Earth. All I wanted was to hear him say "Adam, you didn't do anything wrong. You're a victim, but it doesn't make you dirty. You're fine and you're safe because I've got you now." If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear his voice whispering into my ear, telling me that he knew it was hard, but I was okay, I was strong enough to get through this and we would be together soon.

Really, I had no choice but to believe that Drake was communicating with me through the bond that we had created through our years of marriage and love. Yes, we had unbelievably amazing sex, but that wasn't the base of our relationship anymore. When he first came, that's what I wanted him for, but now I loved him with my whole heart and soul and the sex didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. We used it only as a form of expressing our love and to be as close as humanly possible to one another. In the moments we did make love, we ceased to be two people in love, but one person conjoined by love.

Gods how I missed him… If it wasn't for the hope I had in my husband, I didn't believe I would be able to survive living here in this cell, being bullied and tortured whenever the guards decided they were bored and needed something to do. I hated it here more than I could even begin to describe, but the couple of gifts and letters I had received from Drake were enough comfort to get me through until he found a way to save me. He didn't have a lot of belief in himself, but I believed in him more than I believed in the Gods that he would come. He would save me, it was just a matter of when.

Sighing, I curled up on my side, looking at the tick marks I had created in the wall, counting the number of days I had been here. Two hundred and forty-six days. Over eight months and I was still holding on. I had been beaten, forced to choke down a few cocks and raped with whatever that object Derek had, something like a night stick. Truly I had been nearly to my breaking point and still held on. I would hold on until I was home, in Drake's arms again. I made a promise to myself and to Drake that no matter what happened and no matter what they did to me, I wouldn't die here. I wouldn't.

I couldn't.

Closing my eyes, I tried to clear my mind. I didn't want to think of the dull ache that I could still feel between my legs. I wasn't healing quite right, even with Sebastian's care. I could still feel the rips inside me, like every time I moved they would pull open a little, like a cut right across a knuckle. I was in pain, but I could deal with it, I just wanted to sleep. Sleep got me away from this horrid place. Sleep put me back in Egypt, back in my palace, with my lover at my side and in my arms.

I was close to slipping under, not quite asleep but in that state where I could have been asleep if I stopped concentrating on my surroundings, when there was a loud bang on my cell bars. "Come on, Derek, leave him alone. He's sleeping," I heard a guard his and I tensed just a little. Derek always meant bad news and really, I just wanted to be done with him. If he wasn't constantly coming into my cell just to harass me, this situation wouldn't be nearly as difficult to deal with.

"No, the bitch isn't sleeping, he's just pretending to sleep like he always does," Derek said and I could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he slid his key into the cell door and slid it open. "Come on, we'll have a good time with this one." I heard a couple pairs of boots scraping across the stone, followed by the cell door being slammed closed. "Isn't that right, Old Man?" he asked, walking up to the cot. Obviously he was talking to me. Derek was a good ten years younger than me and because he had authority over me, he took on the role of master and I was just the old man that he liked to abuse.

I didn't respond. I hoped that if I continued to pretend I was sleeping, I would simply get away from this. The other guards sounded more reasonable than Derek. Maybe they would convince him to leave.

"Derek, I really think you should just leave him alone…" the other guard said. He sounded a little uneasy about being in my cell just to harass me. If I had been acting out or had done something to warrant punishment, it would have been a different story, but Derek wasn't really one to listen to anyone else.

"Shut up, James. Stop being such a pansy," he snarled, reaching down to fist my hair. He yanked me down from the coat, pulling a pained cry from my lips. "This is how we train our bitches. This is why they don't talk back and this is why they're so well behaved." When I looked up at Derek, I saw a pair of silver scissors shining in his hands and I felt my blood run cold. What was he doing with those? What was he going to do to me? Cut me? _Stab me?!_ "Isn't that right?" Derek asked, opening the scissors and pressing one of the blades to the side of my face.

I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut as he ran the blade lightly over my cheek. It wasn't painful or damaging, really, but the threat of a blade on my face, close to my mouth, eyes and throat was not something I welcomed. "Huh?" Derek hissed, his hand tightening in my hair and pulling as hard as he could manage. "Answer me, or I'll ruin this pretty face of yours, I promise I will," he hissed.

"Yes…" I whimpered, knowing that if I ignored Derek he really would carve my face. He was a fucked up, sadistic bastard and if given the right push, he would definitely do it.

He pressed the blade into my cheek, hard enough that it was uncomfortable, but he wasn't breaking skin yet. "Look at me when you say it, bitch!" he shouted, spit flying from his lips and hitting my face and neck.

"Derek, stop it. You can't justify hurting him," the other guard, James, said to him, but Derek wasn't really listening. He was determined to show this guard that treating the prisoners this way was the only way to keep them in line and that it was okay to have fun with it.

" _Look. At. Me."_ Derek hissed again and I slowly opened my eyes. I had hoped that the other guard would influence Derek to leave me alone, but talking to Derek, reasoning with Derek, was more like reasoning with a brick wall.

"Yes," I repeated quietly, looking him in the eye. I knew there was some sort of fear there, but mostly I hoped that I held my pride as the Pharaoh of Egypt. He could hurt me, he could break my body, but as long as I knew Drake was working to keep Egypt alive and to bring me home, I could survive anything Derek threw at me, no matter how much it might physically destroy me.

Derek looked me in the eye for what felt like hours, but was really only a moment or two. "You act like you're so proud, but really, you're just a bitch," he hissed, pulling the scissors away from my face. Relief washed through me, but I knew he wasn't done. I won this battle, but not the war. I wouldn't win the war until Drake came and took me away from this place and I prayed desperately that day would be soon because I couldn't guarantee that Derek wouldn't get carried away with his "fun".

"Derek…" James tried to say, but Derek just put a hand up, telling the other guard to shut up without saying a word.

"What should we do with you today, huh, Pharaoh?" he hissed in a very sarcastic tone. "Liked being filled last time, didn't you?" he asked and I couldn't stop my eyes from widening a bit. I could only image what he wanted to do now. Rape me with those scissors, shove them into me and then open them as wide as they could go… Or maybe he would just shove himself in me and make me choke on James at the same time…

Derek smirked and me and he ran his fingers through my hair in almost a soothing manner. It hadn't been cut in a long time. Before I was taken from Egypt, I let it grow out some because I liked it that way. Drake seemed to like it a lot too, so I never got around to cutting it. It had grown a few inches since I was brought here and it wasn't so stylish and neat anymore, but it was still my hair and it was really the last thing I had about me that was still mine. My jewels and clothes had been taken or ruined. All I had were the few things Drake sent back with Sebastian hidden in my pillowcase and the tattoos that never faded, but looking at my tattoos hurt. They reminded me I wasn't in Egypt and I couldn't perform my duties as Pharaoh and I couldn't be with my lover, taking care of him like my lover tattoos promised…. My hair was the only part of me that didn't belong to someone else and didn't make me feel guilty.

"You'd like to be filled again, wouldn't you, you whore?" Derek asked, holding my hair again. Really, there was no right answer to the question because obviously no, I didn't want to be filled again. I didn't want to be raped again, but if I said that out loud, I would probably get hit and raped anyway. However, if I said yes, I would be branded as even more of a whore and I would still be raped, only Derek would think I was consenting to it.

"N-no…" I whimpered quietly. "Please no…" Before I could even say anything else, Derek kicked me hard in the stomach and pushed me to the ground.

"Ungrateful little cocksucker," he hissed, raising his hand to hit me and he did, hard. "Maybe I just need to teach you another lesson, huh?!" he shouted, kicking me in the side as hard as he could. I was sure he, at the very least, cracked a rib. "Hold him down for me, James," he hissed.

James looked a little reluctant. "I don't want to just help you rape him, Derek…" he said quietly and Derek scowled at him.

"I'm not going to rape the bitch, now hold him down!" he barked and James came over to me, grabbing a hold of my arms. Even though he wasn't as cruel as Derek, his grip was still tight and he was still strong. I wasn't strong enough to break away from him.

"What are you doing to do?" he asked and Derek opened and closed the scissors a few times, each time making a _shink_ sound. "Derek…"

"I'm not gonna hurt him. Much," Derek said and he fisted my hair, bringing the scissors up to show me before he started chopping my hair off in big chunks, laughing as my black locks fell around me. I tried to kick him, to get him away. It could have been a lot worse than just getting my hair cut but I felt like with every snip of my hair, I was losing another part of myself and I knew he was cutting all of the black out, leaving only the gray that had grown in since I was brought here, growing from worry, stress and depression.

The haircut itself only took a matter of minutes, but it felt like hours and hours of slowly losing myself. Derek was laughing and James was just holding me down, but he seemed rather disgusted with Derek… At least there were a few people in Persia who had hearts.

"You look so nice now, Old man," Derek sneered as he made the last cut and sat back to admire his work. "Nice and gray." He smirked at me, running his fingers through my short, uneven and choppy hair. Tears stung my eyes but I refused to let them fall, not with Derek still here. "I'll be back for some more fun later. Be ready for me..." He stood and pocketed his scissors. "Let's go, James," he said and without another word, he left, my chopped hair covering the floor around me.

"Bastard," I hissed once he and James were gone, tears streaking my face.


	144. Chapter 144

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Not A Day Goes By That I Don't Think Of You  
Alexander's POV**

Eight months, two weeks, three days. That's how long Adam had been gone, and other than the sporadic letters he would send to Drake, there wasn't much in the way of knowing how he was doing, what Emir was planning or whether or not we could even hope to rescue him from Persia. Only the same things, over and over: "I'm holding on. I'm fighting. Please hurry…" that type of thing…

I wasn't complaining by any means. Each letter from Adam just reassured all of us that he was still alive. That he was fighting and fighting until we could figure out the best way possible to go to Persia. The best strategy and methods of negotiation. Emir's proposals were all full of shit, truly, but he was still a man of power, and if we barged into his territory.. well, our status would help, but he'd be calling the shots. He'd be able to do almost whatever he wanted.

I didn't want to think about it, though. I was still holding out for Emir to just wise up and realize that we weren't going to give him the throne to all of Egypt, and that holding Adam hostage was futile. However, I didn't want him to lash out and… put Adam's life in danger if we told him that, either.

Unfortunately, though, we were running out of time. Our allies could only help us so much and they wanted to keep war on the back burner for as long as possible. It was perfectly clear to us that if we continued to refuse Emir's demands for Egypt's crown, he would push us until we declared war. He was a ruthless bastard like that and, no doubt, would stop at nothing short of simply being defeated or assassinated until he got his way.

I'd thought long and hard about simply having his punk ass annihilated…

But we couldn't. Even if our best assassins went after Emir, snuck in and poisoned him and got out before being detected, the Persians would still know it was us. We were the only country in a tiff with Persia, and everyone else seemed to be mostly at peace with one another. Besides, assassination would just be a gateway to war, and then all of our efforts would be for nothing.

"Baby?" Tommy's voice cut through my thoughts and I looked up at him, humming softly in response. "Are you alright? You seem rather upset." I shrugged a little, leaning into his touch as Tommy caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers.

"I'm just thinking, that's all," I told him, turning into his touch to kiss hi hand. He smiled softly, at me, reaching up to push my hair from my face.

"What are you thinking about, love?" He asked, and I sighed a little, purring softly as he massaged the top of my head.

"A lot of things. What we can do about Persia and the situation we're in. How we're going to get Adam home… Just everything, really. I don't want to think about what they're doing to him but I know if we don't act fast, we may be too late…" I mumbled softly, and Tommy nodded slowly. He understood our disposition far better than anyone other than myself, Cassidy and Drake. He knew Adam almost as long as Cassidy and I had, and he knew that even someone as strong as Adam had a breaking point.

"We're doing everything we can, Alex, and you know that. Adam's fighting and Drake is fighting and we're going to get him out of there. I know we're going to…" Tommy assured me. I wanted so desperately to believe him but it was hard. Adam had been gone for eight and a half months and we'd made no progress in negotiating with Emir…

"I know.. I know we are, I'm just… I'm terrified something's happen.. or that something will happen. I'm terrified that I'm going to wake up and we'll have news that Adam is gone or something…" I voiced my fears and found myself shaking a little, and Tommy wrapped his arms around me to comfort me.

"It's not going to happen, Alex. It's not. Adam's not going to die. Not for many, many years." I sighed.

"How can you be so sure?"

"He won't give up that easily. He's tough, and when he's determined to do something, nothing will stop him. Not even death…" I chuckled softly. As hard as it was to believe that _nothing_ would stop Adam from coming home, Tommy had a point. Adam was a fierce and determined individual. He would let nothing trivial stop him. I'm sure if Emir held him at point blank with a gun, it'd be a different story…

"Alright…" I said, trailing off before kissing him. "Thank you, Tommy. Unfortunately, I have to go…" He pouted.

"What for?"

"I have to go into the bazaar and do a little bit of shopping. Pick up a few more supplies. Besides, your birthday is coming up and I want to look for something for you," I said, planting another kiss on his lips. Tommy moaned softly, kissing me back deeply before I pulled away.

"You don't have to…"

"Yes, I do. Don't say that. I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?" I told him and he nodded, smiling at me.

"Be safe." I smiled back at him.

"I will."

Dressed in green trousers, a shirt and a white, sleeveless robe and sandals, I walked along through the crowded streets of the bazaar. Vendors were selling goods of all kinds from breads and pastries to linens and jewels. Some had paintings and art supplies and others had fabrics and threads. No matter which way you turned, each vendor had something new to sell. Something they wanted you to look at, something to pique your interest.

Clutching my bag close, I kept a hand on the servant boy who was mingling around with me. He was a short, young lad of about twenty with deep black hair and large, chocolate brown eyes. He was tan with toned muscles beneath his white smock and shorts, his sandals dusty from wear. His name was Malik and he'd been serving since he was fourteen.

"Stay close to me," I told him, and he nodded once. We wandered throughout the bazaar, and I bought some of the thing we needed. Reams of paper, lead, ink, paints and a new sketchpad for Drake, fabric and thread for Cassidy, a few new tools for Eric, Jonah and Hayden—they'd taken a deep interest to the motorcycles in the garage of the palace and were working to fix up some of the old ones. All of this was packaged neatly and placed into my bag as well as the bag and basket that Malik was holding onto.

We shopped for a while, circling around groups of stalls and the small shops that more successful vendors had. Egypt might have been a pretty poor country with less jobs that it should, but if one wanted to make it in the economy, working and selling in the bazaar was not a bad option. It was constantly growing with new vendors, and the people were friendly enough that they were willing to work with new merchants in the event someone else didn't have what they were looking for.

After a while, I began to notice a few more personal items that I wanted to purchase. Not wanting Malik to get bored with my browsing, I gave him the list of other things that we were going to need and sent him on his way. "Find me within the hour," I told him before watching his black head disappear into the sea of customers.

I wandered into one little tent-like shop, gazing amongst beautiful items of jewelry and make up. Tommy had a fascination for jewelry even if he never wore it very often, but I knew he really like earrings and cuffs. I stared at a glass case of rings and cuffs, looking at the detail work and the pricing before finding an industrial bar that had a sort of cuff attached to it.

Only one side of the bar came undone, so that it could easily slip through the two holes in the ear. The closed side had an open cuff that would curve along the edge of the ear with intricately designed scarab beetles etched into the metal work. Glancing up, I waved the vendor down before pointing to the item. He pulled it from the case and handed it to me for closer inspection. I smiled and purchased it, giving extra for the craftsmanship.

Walking onward, I found myself mindlessly looking around, and upon doing this I began to notice something that I had not when I first entered the bazaar. In each of the tents, sometimes small, sometimes large, sometimes in the front of the stall or shop or in the very back, was a massive eye of Horus. But it wasn't just like any eye of Horus that you could find in Egypt. Each station had the same, specific design.

But this design was familiar… Like I had seen it before, many, many times, yet I couldn't place where. The farther I wandered into the bazaar, the more I saw it. It was everywhere! As I walked and passed children, I found them taking sticks and stones and they drew it into the sand. Citizens of Egypt mingled around me, some wearing this Eye around their necks on necklaces, others with bracelets, murmuring to themselves in prayer. Like this design, this particular Eye had become iconic…

I continued walking about, poking my head into a few stalls and tents to see if anything interested me. A lot of the time nothing did. There would be a few things that looked intriguing or beautiful, but nothing that really spoke to me. I had half a mind to just start looking for Malik, check his progress on the shopping before I stopped at the entrance of a tent with deep purple walls.

Slowly, I made my way into it, seeing trinkets, sheets, tapestries and religious items. Rosaries, prayer beads, everything under the sun possible. All of them had the Eye. The Eye that had been all over every tent and stall in the bazaar. And it still seemed so strangely familiar that I felt like a fool for not recognizing it.

Making my way further into the tent, I gazed upon each item, amazed at the elaborate detail. Like each piece had been under the special care of someone who dedicated their life to this design, this practice. I felt uneasy, and I looked around until I finally saw the vendor sitting in the back as she carved away at a small piece of wood. She was an elderly lady, with short white hair and white skin, dressed in beads of wood and glass, her dress hanging loose off of her frame.

"Excuse me?" I said politely, coming up to the table she sat behind. She glanced up at me and smiled.

"What can I do for you?" She asked.

"I… I would like to know what this design is. Why is it so popular?" I asked, pointing at one of the completely fabrics in front of me. It looked like a cutout of a sheet, like something someone would keep on them for personal reasons. She raised a white eyebrow at me, her wrinkled face pulling into a knowing smirk.

"My boy, you should know this better than anyone. You're one of the Pharaoh's advisers—" I opened my mouth to ask her how she knew, but she continued. "—don't play dumb. Old Salwa knows…" I shut my mouth, staring hard at her.

"Yes, I… I am one of the Pharaoh's advisers… but.. but that's beside the point. What is this from? And why does every vendor have it? Why does every child carve it into the sand?" I pleaded. She licked her lips and sighed, giving her attention to the carving in her hands.

"This Eye of Horus is the same that is inked onto Pharaoh's Adam's flesh," she told me, eyeing me before looking back to her work. "I used to watch over Pharaoh Adam, when he was a young boy. I saw him get this design tattooed, and I haven't forgotten it. Since the day he was taken, the people of Egypt have been praying and crying and begging for his safe return. I recreated the design and started putting it into jewelry and fabric, so that everyone could have their beloved Pharaoh in their hearts and prayers."

I stared at the woman with wide, shocked eyes. I should have known. Truly, I should have and I was so blind as to have forgotten it. It was Adam's favorite tattoo, his favorite symbol of protection. I dropped my gaze to the table of items in front of me, staring back at the dozens of Eye of Horus that looked back up at me. But it was hardly the Eye of Horus.. no… It was the Eye of Adam. Adam, continuing to watch over me and his people, his country… Just as we prayed and watched over him in spirit.

I brought a shaking hand to my lips, and I started to cry.


	145. Chapter 145

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: What Was It About That Night? Connection In an Isolated Game  
Sebastian's POV**

Adam's condition was quickly going downhill. Derek was finding every possible way to torture Adam, not to mention, the exposure to constant filth with nothing but stale bread and dirty water for nourishment, he was quickly on a rapid decline to a life threatening illness. I knew he wasn't going to last much longer like that, so I decided that I needed to use the trip I was on to send Emir's newest proposal to my advantage.

We were a day away from Egypt and as much as I wanted to get to the Pharaoh, I wished I was with Adam. He needed my care now more than ever and I could have been healing him easily if Emir hadn't stopped my supply of proper medications. Emir just didn't care about the prisoners at all. He didn't care that they were dying off one by one, a new casualty almost daily. I hated watching it so much, but the one person I could not deal with losing was Adam. If he were to die… Well I really just didn't know what I would do. I didn't know what Egypt would do and I didn't know what Drake, the Pharaoh of Egypt, would do.

Luckily I was left alone in one of the tents while my escorts were busy eating like it was going out of style around the fire. They were making jokes, a lot of them crude and filthy, discussing the prisoners, mostly Adam and then there were the things they said about Drake. I couldn't explain why each and every comment made about Drake sent anger boiling through my blood. Yes, I respected him greatly, but I felt like there was more to it than that…

"If I was the one to follow them into that pyramid," one guard started to say. "I would have pulled that beautiful redhead to me, stripped him and fucked him like the bitch he was and made the Pharaoh watch. Then I would have slit his pretty little throat and left him there to rot!" They all laughed but I just wanted to punch each of them. They were all so sick.

"Why slit his throat? You could have taken him back to Persia and made him your own personal bitch! I'm sure he's a great fuck, even better while holding him down and feeling him struggling beneath you!" another guard exclaimed and they all laughed again. It was sickening truly, but I tried my damnedest to ignore them. I was trying to write a letter to Drake, telling him that Adam was hanging on, but that he was in bad shape and Drake needed to do something quickly.

 _My Pharaoh,_

 _I'm sorry that this letter is short, but I am in the middle of a camp full of Persian soldiers, on my way to deliver you a proposal from Emir, and I don't have too much time to be alone, but I need you to know about your husband. He's… not doing so well. He's starting to get sick and some of the guards have taken an unhealthy interest in him. Adam is holding on to every last bit of hope he has for you and I know that it's enough to keep him hanging on, but he may not last much longer in this physically diminishing state. Adam needs you and I know you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but please, My Pharaoh, please, you have to hurry. I will do everything I can to keep Adam living through this, but I don't know how much more he can take._

 _He needs you and Persia needs you as well. If Emir is allowed to remain in power, Persia, as well as Egypt and all of Her surrounding countries will be in danger… I know you can do this and I urge you to do something as soon as you possibly can._

 _With all my hope,  
The Messenger— Sebastian_

I tore the page from my journal and put it into Emir's proposal. It was right on the inside cover, because none of the guards ever cared to look at the documents. I believed that they were just too complicated for the men to understand. All they really understood was torture and sex and even the sex was more like rape. They were all just buffoons really. I'd never met a worse group of people in my life and in my line of work; I had seen a lot of fucked up families, friends and coworkers. These guards just didn't have hearts and they only enjoyed other people's pain.

I repacked my bag quickly and curled up. Sleep wouldn't visit me, I knew that already, but I couldn't let the guards know that I was awake. If they knew that I was up and plotting against all of Persia in my tent, well, I'd probably be beaten, raped and left in the desert to die.

The night was a long and cold one, but we left first thing in the morning and reached Egypt's palace within several hours. I thought we should have just pushed through to get to the palace without stopping, but none of the escorts wanted to do that and I would have been a fool to suggest anything otherwise. In the end, it didn't matter. Really, all that mattered was that I got this note to the Pharaoh in time for him to help Adam.

As I walked into the throne room, I was overcome with this sense of being home. It hit me every time I came here and whenever I looked up the Pharaoh, I always felt like I should know him more than I did, like I should be a bigger role in his life. I could never explain why I felt like I was looking at someone I knew when I looked at the young Pharaoh, but he was just so… So familiar, it was hard to ignore the attraction to him. It wasn't anything physical or sexual. Unlike Adam, I wasn't interested in men. I had no issues with homosexuals, obviously, but I wasn't one myself. No, my attraction to Drake, while he was very beautiful, was nothing to do with how he looked or how he held himself. It was more like he was a part of me and the only conclusion I could come up with was that I was so close to Adam and that made me close to Drake in an indirect way.

Even that didn't sound right.

"My Pharaoh, King Emir sends his newest proposal to you," I said, kneeling before Drake, sitting on his throne. He was dressed similar to how he was always dressed; gold shorts, a sheer top, a beautiful silk crimson robe hanging off of his shoulders and beautiful gold jewelry accenting his body, but not overly done.

Drake stood from the throne. "You may stand," he said as he descended the short staircase and approached me, his robe swishing behind him. I could tell that he was thinner than the last time I saw him and he was rather pale, almost sick looking, but not quite. He had definitely been skipping meals though, and he could probably stand to see a doctor, but I was just a messenger and even though I was worried about the well being of My Pharaoh, I wouldn't say anything that disrespectful to him. He had advisers and such for that.

"Emir requests that you send a response as quickly as you possibly can," I told him, pulling the proposal from my bag and handing it over to the Pharaoh. He was about a head shorter than me, but there was something so familiar about him. I wanted to reach out and touch his smooth, beautiful skin. He looked like someone I used to know and deep down I knew who he reminded me so much of, but I didn't have much time to ponder why I felt so close to this man.

"Emir will receive his response when I've finished my counter proposal," Drake said to me, slowly opening the little bound booklet. It was all just fancy words for the same thing Emir always wanted: the throne to Egypt. Drake couldn't give that to him, everyone in every country from Egypt to Persia knew that Drake couldn't give into that kind of demand. It was just preposterous, but I knew what Emir was trying to do. He wanted to hold Adam captive, abuse him to near death and wait for Drake to declare war because, clearly, Emir had committed an act of war. If Drake did declare war, no one would follow him into battle though. He would lose all of his allies and there would be the bloodiest battle that this section of the world had seen in years.

Drake would not be held responsible for all of that bloodshed, not that I blamed him.

"Please, My Pharaoh," I said in the ancient language. "There is a note in the proposal that you need to read. Adam is hanging on… But he needs you. I don't think he'll be able to hold out for that much longer…"

Drake's eyes went wide as he looked at me, his beautiful blue eyes shining and worried. "W-what…?" he asked quietly, his hands tightening hard on the proposal. For how small he was, he seemed to be rather strong, because I thought he was just going to rip the book in half in his grip.

"He's sick… And he's getting sicker," I whispered in the old language. "He's hanging in there, but Emir stopped giving me what I need to take care of him and he needs help… I know you're in a hard spot but please… try to figure something out. Please…"

Drake nodded a little, tears hanging onto the brims of his eyes but he wouldn't let them fall, not in front of Persian soldiers and I had to admire him for how strong he was. "I'll figure something out, Sebastian," he said quietly. "Tell Adam to hold on for just a bit longer… I'm coming to get him."

"Thank you, My Pharaoh," I said quietly. I didn't really know what Drake would do and I was afraid to linger on it for very long, but I had to put my trust in him, just like Adam had put his trust in him. Adam had given Drake his entire kingdom to look after, so I had to trust that he would pull through. If this gut feeling I had about him was accurate, he would save Adam and manage to keep a war from breaking out. He had to… "I must go…" The Persian soldiers were getting tired of waiting.

"Be safe," Drake told me as I turned to leave.

"You too, My Pharaoh," I said, bowing a little in respect before I joined my escorts again so we could leave. As we walked down the steps of the palace, back towards our vehicles, Drake's words just rang out through my mind over and over like a chime.

 _"Be safe."_


	146. Chapter 146

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Slip Into The Fantasy…**

 **Drake's POV**

Adam was sick… he was sick and getting sicker and, by the sound of Sebastian's letter, there was almost nothing he could do to help Adam get better. And if Adam was sick, that meant I was running out of time. Sebastian had said it himself, I needed to act— _fast_.

Gods, how could I have been so stupid?! All this time I had been sitting in the comforts of my palace writing useless proposals, meeting with ignorant allies and leaders, and my husband, my _Adam_ , was getting sicker and weaker by the minute. I'd been here.. safe and sound while my husband battled torture, illness, and…

Oh, _Gods…_

Adam was hundreds of miles away in Persia, fighting everyday for his life, and I was doing nothing. Absolutely _nothing_. I wasn't making progress or bettering his kingdom, I wasn't opposing our enemy or making any real efforts to bring him home… I wasn't doing a damn thing to help him, and now he was paying for it…

I fled the throne room with tears streaming down my face. I blew past servants, each of them calling after me in concern, but I paid them no mind. I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. I could barely breathe, let along acknowledge them and accept their comfort. And no matter how hard they might try, they would never understand. All I could do was cry and feel sorry for myself… and for Adam…

I found myself pressed to a set of large, wooden double doors and realized I'd made it to my bedroom. Fumbling with the handles, I pushed the doors open quickly, stumbling inside some. Sobs tore from my throat as I turned and slammed the doors shut, the sound ringing through my room. The proposal slipped from under my arm, the papers falling out and scattering all over, Sebastian's letter like a black smear over them all. It was the only thing I kept looking back to, and every time I set eyes upon it I wanted to scream.

Gods, Adam was sick… what if he was dying? What if, by the time Sebastian reached him in Persia, he was… oh, _Gods_ , no.. that couldn't… he couldn't… he wouldn't! Adam promised me! He promised that he would hold on and fight for me! He promised he would, for me, because he needed me! And I…

I failed him. I'd done nothing for him and now he was sick… and it was all my fault.

"I'm sorry!" I wailed, leaning heavily on the doors. "Oh, Gods, I'm sorry, Adam… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" Tears rolled as my legs failed me. I fell to the floor, trembling so violently I must have looked like I was having a seizure. I hid my face behind my hands as I cried. It felt like my heart was shattered, a million tiny, bleeding pieces that were slowly crumbling away from one another, bleeding and burning and dying…

Inside my mind, though, the images were worse. Memories flooding back from when Adam had been poisoned, and when Tommy was sick… But instead of Tommy, it was Adam. So pale and weak and unresponsive. Dark shadows under his eyes, his lids looking bruised, his beautiful lips pale and chapped and cracking and.. oh… No, please, no.. no more of these images.. no more…

There was a soft meow that sounded to me in the middle of my grief and I moved my hands away to see Pharaoh, butting his head against my calf. His blue eyes were wide, looking almost concerned as he rubbed against my leg, meowing again. Tears were streaming too fast to stop and I reached down, pulling the cat into my arm. He rested his paws over my shoulder, sniffing and nuzzling at my neck as I held him tight.

"Oh, Gods, Pharaoh.." I moaned, burying my nose into his fur as my body trembled with sobs. "What if he's gone…? What if it's too late, Pharaoh?" My mind was torturing itself with horrendous fantasies of Adam's body, broken and lifeless, being tossed like a sack of garbage onto the front steps… I couldn't think this way but it was hopeless. Sebastian's letter only brought to light the fears that I had been dwelling in for months. Adam was sick and we were running out of time, if not completely done for already.

Pharaoh meowed softly, rubbing against my shoulder, purring like a madman to, no doubt, cheer me up. But it was..sadly, useless. Everything within me ached and Pharaoh's purring just made the pieces quiver. Choking softly, I set my cat down on the floor beside me as my gaze wandered across the floor to Sebastian's letter. His handwriting was neat but his message was foul and fresh, hot tears poured.

Somehow I managed to crawl my way over to the bed, pulling myself up onto it after stripping the jewels and my sandals. Pharaoh meowed again, jumping up onto the bed before rubbing against me. I wrapped myself in Adam's robe as tightly as possible, curling up into the smallest ball I could make with Pharaoh in my arms. His tiny little black head rested up against my heart and I forced my eyes shut.

How could I have done this to Adam? How could I have sat here and done nothing while he suffered in the dirtiest parts of Persia? How could I have been so… ignorant, hoping things would get better on their own when I could have taken action! I knew where he was. I knew who was responsible. I should have marched on into Persia and demanded, in person, that Emir let my husband go… I should have…

I forced the thoughts away, and wanted desperately to sleep. But I watched the light fade into dark as the wind grew cold and sleep did not come to me. Tears flowed and stopped and flowed fresh, and Pharaoh slept safe and warm in my arms but I did not. I stared at the sky just beyond the arch that led onto the balcony, watching the colors change until it was black.

Between the grief and my stress, I managed to fall asleep. But it was uneasy and full of swirling images until finally locking onto what became the worst nightmare I'd had in many, many years. _It was broad daylight out, hotter than any other day I'd felt in my near-thirty years of living in Egypt. I sat, still and stoic, in the throne with one of Adam's golden robes hanging loosely off of my shoulders. Despite the heat, I kept it on. It was comforting._

 _A sound of footsteps came rushing in and I lifted my head to see Hiei sprinting at me. I frowned, sliding off of the throne just as he ascended the stairs and threw himself into my arms, weeping heavily. Frowning, I ran my fingers through his hair before pulling back from him, fear gripping at my heart. "What, Hiei? What is it? Is something wrong with Cassidy? Tommy?"_

 _Hiei shook his head, the tears falling so fast down his face I couldn't even keep up with trying to wipe them away. I cupped his cheeks, trying to still him enough to understand what he was mumbling, but he was crying too hard. There were only incoherent moans and murmurs that I couldn't understand. "Hiei! What… Hiei, what are you trying to tell me?"_

 _More pained moans and sobs before one word, a name, fell from his lips that made my heart freeze… "Adam."_

 _I dropped my hands, looking away from him to where he had come from. The front steps. Was he crying out of happiness or was it out of grief. I withdrew from my friend, pushing past him before racing down the steps that were connected to the massive pedestal the throne sat upon. My sandals slapped against the stone but what was once a short distance from the stairs to the outer archways of the palace now seemed like miles, and I was breathless by the time I reached them._

 _Though, beyond the archways were not the stairs that led down from the palace, but rather a narrow path that tipped off at a cliff's edge, darkness swirling around on the sides. Far from me, towards the edge, were three people. King Emir in a glory with which I'd never seen and a scarf over his face, his eyes piercing at me through a tiny gap, Derek, the Persian soldier whom I held so much resentment towards, with a hand in the mane of faded black hair of my lover._

 _Adam looked weak, sickly, with dark circles under his eyes and pale, bruised, scarred and mottled skin. His hands were bound with thick, rusted iron shackles, and his eyes were locked on me. Pained, blue-grey irises swirled, screaming their own message, their own fear since Adam's mouth was gagged and tied shut._

 _Leave, Drake! Get away from here! It was like I could hear him inside of my head, screaming, begging me to flee. Emir crossed his arms over his chest as Derek pulled a long, wide-bladed dagger from a sheathe attached to his boot. My eye widened as he lifted it, grinning like a devilish madman at me before pressing it to Adam's throat._

" _No! No, please!" I shouted, running forward. But it felt like there was a massive weight chained to me. I was slow, reaching out for Adam as I ran towards him. My heart was beating so hard in my chest I was only waiting for the moment that it would burst forth from within me. Yet, even as I ran, getting closer and closer, I could only watch in horror as Derek dragged the dagger across Adam's pale throat._

"Adam! _" I howled, stumbling to a stop. Adam's eyes were wide, pained and terrified, a ragged line of red torn over his throat, blood pouring down onto him. Derek's grip in his hair tightened and he pulled Adam back just enough… I watched, frozen and in shock, as Adam disappeared over the edge._

" _No!" I hadn't even realized the word had ripped itself from my throat until after I'd started running again. The path vanished beneath my feet as Emir and Derek faded from my sight. Only the edge of the cliff remained and the image of Adam falling from it lingered in my mind. I was breathing hard, nearing it, desperate to go after Adam even if it was the last thing I ever did. I couldn't lose him. Not like this… Not to them…_

" _Drake—wait!" I heard, but I ignored it. The edge was nearing yet still seemed so far away from me. Tears fell in what felt like rivers down my face as I stumbled, crawling for a moment before picking myself up. "Drake! Stop!" Arms and hands grabbed and wrapped around me. The edge was just inches from my feet and I howled, fighting and clawing at whoever was trying to hold me back._

" _Let go of me!" I shouted, clawing at the arms and hands again. My feet slid, one slipping over the edge. So close. So close to Adam.. why couldn't I just… "Let me go! Just let me be with him! Please, let me be with him!"_

" _Drake! Wake up! Drake!"_

The arms shook me again and my eyes snapped open. Cold wind bit at my face and neck I realized I was half-dangling from the edge of the balcony. I gasped, horror and fear punching me in the gut as I turned and grabbed at person who was holding me back from certain death. Tears flowed as I kicked at the balcony, trying to get away.

I only managed to lose my balance though, and both feet slipped from the edge. I screamed, clutching onto the arms and shoulders that were wrapped around my waist, tucked against my back. I took a moment to study them and recognized them as Tommy's, his voice grunting into my ear as he pulled me back. My legs scraped against the stone, my body trembling as Tommy held me down against the floor of the balcony, breathing hard.

"What…the fuck…where you thinking?!" He roared at me, trying to catch his breath. I stared at the balcony's edge, the dream so vivid and haunting in my mind. "I thought you promised to hold on and to fight for him? And yet I come to check on you and your moments from throwing yourself off your balcony?!"

"I didn't…" I said, shaking. I didn't know… I didn't know… "I…"

"What? You were what, Drake?!" I couldn't blame Tommy for being angry, but it wasn't helping the situation.

"I was dreaming! I didn't… I didn't know I was…" I trailed off. I tried to throw myself from my balcony…because of a dream. I'd dreamt Adam had died and I wanted so desperately to just be with him even in death that I… unconsciously tried to kill myself…

"Gods, Drake…" Tommy's arms wrapped themselves around me, pulling me close. He was crying. "Please… please, don't.. don't ever… please…"

"I won't, I won't…" I murmured, gazing at the balcony's railing.


	147. Chapter 147

**Chapter Thirty: It Takes Me Way Back…  
Cassidy's POV  
**  
It was obvious that something had to be done about Adam's situation and quickly. Drake had shown us the letter that the messenger Sebastian had left for him and it left all of us incredibly worried. Adam was sick, King Emir's soldiers were mistreating him and the messenger who came here was also Adam's doctor, who informed Drake that he no longer had access to medications and supplies he needed to help Adam get over his illness.

We were running out of time. Soon Adam would be dead, either by being beaten to death or by dying of this sickness he suddenly had. There was no way that his weakened state would be able to fight off any sort of illness or infection because he was so weak. He was living in constant filth and he was being fed nothing more than old bread and dirty water. We couldn't expect him to keep holding on for whenever we managed to settle this peacefully because we probably would never settle it peacefully.

But we were kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place because what exactly were we supposed to do? If war broke out, millions of innocent people would be put in danger. Thousands, if not millions of people would be killed in one of the bloodiest wars of the new millennia. A war between Egypt and Persia would be a blood, violent one that would affect more than just our countries, but all surround countries and possibly even countries all over the world.

I loved Adam. He was my best friend and my Pharaoh, so I was torn. I wanted him home almost as much as Drake did, but could we truly justify letting thousands upon thousands of die to bring home one person? However, on the opposite side of that, if Adam were to die, King Emir would just start a war anyway and Egypt would be weak. Drake would be weak and if Drake was weak and Adam was gone, Egypt would fall.

And after the events of a few nights ago, I was convinced that if Adam died, Drake would die too…

Tommy had told us Drake almost threw himself from his balcony, which would definitely be a certain death. Drake had been sleep walking with was the result of a nightmare where King Emir murdered Adam by slitting his throat and then threw him off the cliff. In a desperate last attempt to be with his lover, Drake jumped to follow him, but he didn't realize he had almost killed himself in real life. Since that had happened, everyone was terrified of what Drake would do if he were left alone, so we decided we weren't going to leave him alone at night. If we lost both Adam and Drake, we might as well just give Egypt to Emir on a silver platter, because there was absolutely no way that Egypt could thrive without them.

"So… The recent events have left us with a choice to make," I said.

Drake sat at the head of a rather long table with Alex and myself at his sides. The rest of our friends and family were sitting around they table, wanting to be as involved in the decision making as the three of us. I didn't think it was a very good idea, but Drake said that it was because this decision affected all of us, not just the Pharaoh and his two advisers. Alex was dead set against war and against going to Persia. I was kind of stuck on the fence because my heart said that we needed to go, but my brain said that going would be suicide. Drake, on the other hand, was fully in support of going to Persia and he sounded like nothing and no one would change his mind.

"I don't see how any of you think there is any room for discussion on this matter," Drake said, rubbing his tired and stressed eyes with his hands. Pharaoh sat curled in his lap. Ever since Drake found that cat, or from how he explained it, the cat found him, Pharaoh was always right there with Drake. He followed Drake around the palace like he was supposed to be a seeing eye dog instead of a cat and whenever Drake sat down, Pharaoh claimed his lap as his, like Drake belonged to him or something.

"Drake, we can't just go barging into Persia—" Alex started to say, but Alex was very clearly getting on Drake's nerves. I didn't really blame Drake. He had worked so hard to keep peace and, as a result, his husband was just weeks away from death. Alex missed Adam and wanted him home, but not like I did and even I didn't match Drake's want and need for his husband and our Pharaoh to come home.

"Alex, if you say that one more time, I swear I'm going to hit you. I understand that you don't want to go to Persia, but to be perfectly honest; I don't give a damn about what you want anymore. This isn't about you, this isn't about me, this isn't about Adam, this is about this country and Persia because the fact of the matter is that whether we got there or we sit here on our asses and do absolutely nothing, a war is inevitable," Drake hissed, putting his hands down on the table. Alex was speechless, as well as the rest of us. Usually Drake was very passive and he was sweet and caring but right now he was in charge and he knew it. He was definitely taking the role of Pharaoh very seriously right now, probably because he was tired of doing nothing and he was tired of his advisers and his friends making excuses to do nothing.

"So… you're completely set on going to Persia then?" I asked Drake, turning to look at him. "You're going to go to Persia? Because it that's what you decide to do, we'll support it and we'll pack up and go."

"Cassidy, that's not—" Alex started to say but I shot him a glare that said 'Alex, you better shut the fuck up right now because this isn't your decision anymore.' No, going to Persia wasn't the best solution, but it might have been the only one we had at this point, since Emir was so unwilling to cave to our demands. He was determined to start a war and I was beginning to believe that there was no way out of that. Drake was realizing that too but if that was because he had Egypt's best interests at heart or Adam's I wasn't sure…

There was a long silence in the room. Everyone, including Pharaoh, was looking at Drake, waiting for an answer. Drake was staring at the table for a long time, seeming to be lost in thought. His eyes were kind of glassed over, but then the dazed look dispersed and cleared, being replaced with a hard, determined look.

"I realize that going to Persia is dangerous, but going to Persia might be the only thing that we can do," he said finally. "They are determined to start a war with us and us sitting here isn't going to change that. Us going to Persia isn't going to change that, but sitting on our asses doing absolutely nothing will definitely get us no where. If we go to Persia, at the very least, we might be able to save Adam, if not settle this in person. Sitting here and not doing anything at all will only get Adam killed and put our countries at war."

"So there's no more room for discussion then?" Alex asked, sounding rather displeased and sarcastic. Really, I could see this argument from both sides. Drake was right but at the same time, so was Alex. However the question did arise, that if we decided to do nothing and Adam died, would we be able to live with ourselves? I knew that Drake would hate himself for forever, possibly even try to kill himself again but consciously this time around.

"I don't think that there should be anymore room for discussion, Alex, because every minute we're sitting here arguing over something so obvious is another minute that Adam is getting sicker and closer to dying and another minute closer to a war between Egypt and Persia breaking out," Drake said, sounding determined and confident in himself and what he was saying. The truth was, he was absolutely right and even if it was dangerous to go to Persia… Sitting around and waiting for the worst to happen just wasn't really acceptable.

"So we're just going to march in there, unprotected and unarmed?" Alex asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Drake looked like he wanted to punch Alex because he was just being so stubborn. Get a whole room of stubborn men into one room and fighting was bound to happen, but there had been continuous tension between Drake and Alex since Adam was kidnapped and taken to Persia. They got along and then they were at each other's throats and it was just starting to get ridiculous. It was very much a "BOYS! Boys, you're both pretty, can we stop this ridiculous fighting already?!" moment.

"No one is asking you to go, Alex. In fact, none of you seem all that thrilled about my decisions… So, if you don't want to go, stay here and do nothing. I'll go alone if I have to. All I do know is that I can't just sit here and do nothing while I could be doing something. I'm sorry if you find that stupid or ridiculous or if you find me stupid and ridiculous, but this is how I feel about it," Drake said and I knew this was no longer an open discussion. Drake was absolutely determined to go and fight for Adam and for Egypt. There was absolutely no way, even with the help of the Gods, that we could change his mind. For all we knew, maybe he was a God and the only reason he was so willing to go to Persia was because he knew that he could win and put an end to all of this.

Okay, so maybe that sounded a little irrational, but a guy could hope, right? Everyone compared Drake to one of the Gods, maybe that was actually for a real reason, because it was true.

Doubtful though.

"We're not letting you go to Persia alone…" Tommy finally said. It was the first time in over almost an hour that anyone besides Drake, Alex and myself had actually stepped forward to say something.

"Well you don't really have much of a choice, now do you?" Drake asked, standing from the table with Pharaoh in his arms. The cat climbed up onto his shoulders and wrapped himself around Drake's neck, lying there like it was comfortable. "I'm done sitting here and talking. This isn't helping anything. I've made up my mind already," Drake said and without another word, he left us all sitting alone in silence. There was no way we were going to let Drake go to Persia by himself but… Drake was thick headed while, at the same time, being brilliant.

Nothing was going to change his mind now.


	148. Chapter 148

**Chapter Thirty-One: I Don't Want The World To See Me**

 **Adam's POV**

Reaching up slowly, I pressed my fingertips to the scratched-in tally marks on the wall. The grooves were thick though hardly deep at all, and I shuddered some to myself as the number danced round in my head, taunting me in a way. Three hundred, forty-one. I had been here two weeks shy of an entire year…

Honestly, I was surprised. I expected every day that I would die. That every time I went to sleep, I wouldn't see whenever I next woke up. Emir had kept me a prisoner no doubt for war, yet there never seemed to be any notion that a war had been started. Sebastian told me that, while sending proposals between Emir and Drake, there was incredible tension and rather obscene demands going back and forth, but never a declaration for war. My only guess was that Emir was waiting for Drake to make the first move, take the first step, and blame Egypt for the violence and chaos of battle. But I knew Drake… he wouldn't allow it.

Gods, Drake… I prayed every day that he was alright. That he was holding on for me just I was for him. The last time Sebastian delivered a proposal to him, he told me that Drake seemed thinner than normal, and very tired-looking. When he told me, it felt as if there was a hole punched through my stomach. Was Drake unwell? Was he struggling to fight? Gods, I hoped not.

I looked up at the tally marks again, shivering as a chill coursed its way down my spine. I hadn't done much other than make these marks. I'd been so terribly ill for the last several weeks and had too little strength to do much else. Sebastian took care of me as best as he could, but Emir cut off his source of supplies something that felt like ages ago, but it had probably only been maybe… a month? Unfortunately, I wasn't Sebastian's only priority, he had dozens of other patients between prisoners and guards. He had to make what he still had last for everyone, and a good number of prisoners were in far worse conditions than I was.

Naturally, the supplies ran low, almost out entirely. Sebastian told me that many of the other prisoners had died, others—like me—got sicker, and only a few healed. I'd never seen him so stressed and distraught before. He cared for these people like they were his own children; most of them were younger than Drake…

He tried to tell me, even with his lack of supplies, that I was getting better. Despite the symptoms and my fluctuating temperature, he strongly believed that I would be alright… but I wasn't so sure. I'd been sleeping so much more, but I never felt rested. My fever would spike and drop and spike and drop but it wouldn't break. Chills and shakes wracked my body yet I always felt like I was burning. It didn't even feel like an illness, it felt more like some kind of disease, and whenever I dreamt I could see it growing and spreading like an infection…

I wanted to believe Sebastian, I really did… But I couldn't. I didn't have the strength to fight anyone or anything, and it was becoming harder and harder to stomach what little food I was given. Regardless of my condition, Derek and his so-called friends still found pleasure in taunting and beating me almost every single day. I was certain that I had a few broken bones, but there was so much fatigue and pain from my sickness that I couldn't focus on the pain that lingered in my sides.

Tears blurred my vision and I curled in on myself a little more. I could handle the beatings, but it was the words that they would spit at me that hurt the most. They degraded me, belittled me, told me I would never be loved or cared for again by anyone. That I would die and rot here in Persia, clinging onto the desperate hope that I would be saved…

I couldn't believe that, though. I couldn't. I promised Drake I would fight for him, and he promised the same for me. I had to honor what I told him. I couldn't give up on anything. But… I couldn't deny… the soldiers' comments hurt. And they hurt a lot. The things they said about Drake, and the life that I had been taken from… the things they said about _me_. I mean, at least they had the decency to say it to my face, but I always wished they'd say it to my back. Because then they wouldn't have to sneer and laugh at me…

Shuddering softly, I curled up tighter, wrapping my arms around my waist. Sometimes they would tell me that I wouldn't be saved. That no one was coming for me because no one cared. They'd tell me that my husband didn't care, that he was probably happier without me now that he had power over my country…

"Wakey, wakey, Pharaoh…" There was a sudden clanking sound, like something hard rattling against the iron bars of my cell. My entire body tensed and I stared hard at the wall, though I did my best to remain as still as I possibly could. I didn't have to turn and look. I didn't have to see that it was Derek. I'd heard that voice so many times, feared it even in what little dreams I'd had… I knew I would hear it for the rest of my life, if I ever escaped this place.

"I said wakey, wakey, you old shit," Derek sneered again, clanging whatever it was he had against the bars. I stayed still. Gods, I willed myself to be like stone. But the beatings and the torture had done little good, and my shoulder twitched from the tension, and Derek just laughed behind me as the jingle of keys sounded.

Derek unlocked the door behind me and I curled tighter into a ball, wrapping my arms around my legs. Probably not the smartest idea, really, to be curled so tightly and yet be so exposed, but it was the only thing I could think to do. Derek's footsteps came closer after he'd slammed the door shut, and I felt my heart begin to race.

"Come now, Pharaoh… Answer me…" Derek snarled again, his boots falling hard against the stone floor of my cell. I didn't answer. I didn't turn. I didn't acknowledge him in the slightest fashion. I couldn't. I was terrified. "Now, you wouldn't want to disappoint me since you've been _so_ good…"

My throat closed up. Flashes of images pervaded my mind and I whimpered softly at the ideas of torture, whippings and fierce beatings… Derek was the worst of any soldier who had a fascination for hurting me. While he was not always the smartest of people, he was very intelligent with his word choice. And he had an expansive knowledge in pain.

Slowly, I sat up, turning a little to face him. Derek's eyes were a raging, piercing jade color, like a swirling swamp in the midst of a horrendous storm, and the smirk that was plastered on his face sent chills down my spine. I curled away from him, pressing close to the wall. It was horrible, really. When I had been first brought here, this cot was almost too small for me, too narrow. Now I could curl up on it and only take half the space…

Derek snarled like a vicious dog when I cowered in front of him, and as he tightened his grip around it I realized he was holding a thick, metal rod thing in his hands. It was about two feet long, rounded on the ends with a leather-wrapped handle on one end. Looking at it made me feel sick, and while I only remembered it as one of the favorite items for my abuse, something about it was… disgustingly familiar.

"So good… yet still so disappointing.. Why do you disappoint me, Pharaoh?" Derek growled, bouncing the metal rod in his hands a little. My eyes followed the path of the rod, watching it swing rough the air before smacking down into his open palm. I kept seeing, almost feeling, it crash down against my own pale and bruised flesh, and I flinched as he neared me.

Before I could even realize it, Derek had tucked the end of the rod under my chin, raising my head, forcing me to look at him. His eyes burned into mine, "I asked you a question, slut. Dare to make me repeat myself?" I whimpered softly, shaking as I glanced down at the gleaming metal rod. Smeared some on the side was a light, reddish stain that reeked of the ever hauntingly familiar stench of blood, and I felt my stomach twist and clench.

Oh, Gods… he raped me with it… Derek raped me with this rod and he never fucking bothered to clean it…

Nausea overwhelmed me and I turned away, dry heaving and vomiting bile over the side of the cot. Derek laughed as I heaved what little contents I had inside of my stomach. Tears brimmed in my eyes as my throat throbbed with pain. Trembling, I curled away from Derek, tucking myself into the corner as best I could while Derek continued to laugh at me.

"What's the matter, Pharaoh? Sickened by your own repulsive essence?" Derek hissed, rubbing the end of the rod against my cheek. Instinctively, I moved away from it before reaching up, shoving it from my face. I realized too late the mistake I'd made, for a moment after Derek brought the rod with terrible force down from the top-front of my head to just above my left eye. I howled as I went down, tumbling off of the cot and onto the floor. Derek towered over me as I held a palm over my forehead. I could feel blood pulsing between my fingers as pain wracked between my eyes.

"I hope you understand the gravity of your error, Pharaoh," Derek growled, fumbling with something that was attached to his hip. "You've forced me to return to my methods from your earlier lessons…"

My eyes widened, which was a mistake as blood ran into one of them, and I felt the air dissipate from my chest. My "lessons" were really just long, torturous hours of beatings and insults, but the first several of them involved a whip. I glanced up at Derek, watching as he chook his long, braided leather whip out, and I noticed that the tip was a thick leather knot, sealed with some kind of hard, plastic coating.

"No," I whimpered, backing into the cot. "N-no, please!"

Derek scowled at me, "Not another word out of you, Pharaoh, or I will cut up that haggard face of yours…" Derek stepped back, giving himself more room as he continued to shake the whip. The tip scraped against the stone floor, and I trembled as I curled into a ball. He tested the whip into the open air, and I flinched at the sound. He turned toward me, his eyes gleaming in the faint light. I whimpered as Derek reared back, tightening hi grip on the whip. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting breathlessly.

The crack rung through my ears and along my bones as the boiling pain surfaced and blazed in my leg. I screamed, clutching the welt that was already beginning to form as Derek cracked the whip again. The plastic-capped tip sliced across my forearm, cutting so deep that blood gushed almost instantly. Tears welled so thick in my eyes that I couldn't see a damn thing, but I refused to let them fall, even as Derek sent the whip crashing against my skin over and over and over, cutting into my arms and legs and leaving welts when the blows weren't so hard.

I thought it wouldn't end. I was afraid it wouldn't end. And as he whipped me, I felt myself floating back and forth between being present and in pain to being in a dark, warm, safe place. A place where there were diluted senses of pain, but nothing that was agonizing. A place where I was free, comfortable and alone.. A place where there was no Derek. And every time I'd start to submerge myself into the warm, watery darkness of this place, Derek's whip would sting over an open wound or on a welt, or would dig into a sensitive spot like my neck or my hands, and I would snap back into reality.

"Stop!" I howled without meaning to, raising a hand as he whipped me again, the tip slicing into my palm. I choked on a cry, pain sealing my throat shut, making it impossible to breathe. Tears brimmed and threatened to fall, but did not. I focused, visualizing a large, warehouse-sized metal door coming down on the rivers that would have been my tears, and slammed it shut, locking it tight. I couldn't let them go.

The whipping ceased for a brief moment, and I could hear Derek's soft panting. For being a guard, his stamina was pathetic. I trembled, pain buzzing around my entire body and ringing in my head as I looked up at Derek. His eyes glowed with malice and hatred as sweat and blood dripped down my arms, legs and neck. The blood from the wound on my forehead had dried against my skin and hair.

"Did I say you could speak, slut?" Derek snarled, clenching the whip tightly in his hand before letting it drop to the floor. I whimpered softly, trying to back away from him only to trap myself in the corner beside my cot. Derek's hand lashed out, fisting itself into my hair before pulling as hard as he could. I cried out. "Look at you… you're pathetic. A waste. You're _nothing_!" He pulled me out to the middle of the floor, leaving me to slump and whine in pain.

"Do you honestly still believe you're going to get out of here? That your precious fuck toy of a husband is _really_ going to save you?" He leaned in, pressing his lips to my ear, hissing so low and so much like some kind of a damn snake that I trembled. "Guess again, old man."

I couldn't look at him. I couldn't even move. His fingers were digging into my scalp and my body was trembling from all the pain it was in, but I couldn't even really feel it. There was so much that my body was trying to feel and trying to block out that I was trembling, but I felt numb. Utterly numb…

"No one wants you, Pharaoh… Not your family. Not your friends. Not your country. Not even your _lover,_ if he can even be called such… No one cares about you. And even if you do get out of here, by some act of compassion, your lover will take one look at you—one pained, horrified look—and he will realize the time and energy he wasted on you. You are dirt. Shit. You're shit, Pharaoh. Broken and helpless and he's _never_ going to love _you_ …"

I squeezed my eyes shut again, forcing the tears back. I couldn't cry. I wouldn't cry. Not because of Derek… Not because of his words. But the more he said, the more he talked about how Drake wouldn't love me anymore the second he realized how… hopeless I was… I felt my heart clench within me and I wondered… Did Drake… would he really…? No… I couldn't. I couldn't think like that. I loved Drake, and Drake loved me. He was fighting for me, and I for him. We promised each other! We promised! I… I needed him. I needed him…

"Now… scream for me, and maybe I'll be nice…" Derek said, digging his nails into my scalp. I winced, whining softly, but I didn't scream. I refused to scream. I couldn't give him the satisfaction of it any more.

"Scream, slut!" Derek shouted, shoving me down to the floor as hard as he could. My head slammed into the stone and stars blurred over my vision, but I didn't scream. A guttural groan erupted from my chest as dizziness throbbed. I heard the scrape of metal against stone before feeling his trusty tool of choice beating down on my shoulders. I cried out, but I did not scream.

"Pathetic!" Derek howled, and I groaned, shakily curling away from him.

"I-if I'm broken… why do you keep beating me?" I snarled at him, glaring at him as I trembled. Derek's eyes narrowed as he hit me with the rod again. The end caught my lip and split it open, and I tasted blood as it filled my mouth.

"I didn't say you could speak. But, fine, if you wanna play that way.. we'll play." I glanced up, watching as Derek tossed the rod away before… oh, Gods… Derek fumbled with his uniform trousers, pulling them open, and my heart plummeted. Before I could even think or hope to get away from him, Derek knelt down and hovered over me, pinning my wrists above my head before tearing at my own ratty and filthy trousers.

"Gods, no, please… Don't… please, stop…" I begged, pushing at him with my knees. Derek didn't speak, he didn't even look at me, but he slapped me across the face, sending pain through my jaw and my cheek before tugging my pants off entirely. I whimpered, pushing at him again. "Please, don't do this…"

"Why shouldn't I, huh?" Derek snarled. I bit my lip, staring at him.

"It won't give you anything… _I_ won't give you anything…" I told him, shaking under his hold.

"Won't it?" Derek smirked. "You're holding onto the hope that your precious husband is going to hold you and make everything better…" He shifted, pressing himself to my entrance and I gasped, the tears welling again almost immediately. How had he already pulled himself free? "He won't even want to _look_ at you when I'm through with you…"

I tried to push him away. I tried to keep him from entering me, but in my position and with how weak I was, I couldn't stop him. Derek forced himself into me. He forced me to take him and he tore me open as he did it. I cried out and the tears flowed before I could hold them back. Part of me hoped that he'd be gentle… or that he'd go slow… or something, anything that warranted some shred of compassion…

But there was nothing. Nothing but pain and agony. Derek's thrusts were hard, deep and sadistic. At one point he grabbed hold of my throat and squeezed, forcing me to choke and gasp for air as he fucked me… no… he didn't fuck me. He raped me. He held me down, strangled and raped me. He aimed deeper, going harder each time until he nailed that spot. And no matter how painful it was each time, there was the tiniest shred of pleasure that spiked within me, and each time it flared I felt sick to my stomach. I felt disgusting.

It was both a relief and a curse when Derek came. Any time Drake and I made love, and he came inside of me, I felt complete. I felt whole and happy, like the last piece of the puzzle was fitting into place and I felt… so happy. But when Derek came… I felt rotten. Disgusting. Like a slutty abomination that didn't deserve to breathe the same putrid air as the rest of civilization…

I was out of it. I'd holed myself up and hidden away in my safe, warm place as he raped me. I was aware of his presence invading me and violating my very being, but I couldn't even see him. It was dark and warm and it didn't matter if I could breathe or if I died. I was safe here. I was alone, where no one could bother me or hurt me. But there was one thought. One plea that floated around me in this safe haven of mine…

Why couldn't he have just killed me?


	149. Chapter 149

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Life's a Gamble, Roll the Dice  
Drake's POV**

"Go to bed, Drake, we'll talk about this in the morning," Tommy whispered to me, walking with me to go to my bedroom. "I'll give you an hour or two to get cleaned up and relax and then I'll come back to spend the night with you." No one wanted to let me sleep alone because I almost jumped off of the balcony that was off of my bedroom. I constantly insisted that I didn't need anyone to stay with me but deep down I was terrified of what I would do to myself.

"All right, Tommy, thanks," I mumbled, going into my room and shutting the door before Tommy ever had a chance to reply. During our last meeting concerning what we were going to do to help Adam, it because very clear to me that I was the only one who cared about saving him. Sure, the others missed him, but they all seemed so willing to say it was too dangerous to try and save him. If I didn't control myself, I might have punched Alex in the face for how he was acting and I realized that if I was going to save Adam, I needed to do it alone. I didn't have a choice.

I would _not_ let Adam rot away in that filthy cell if there was something I could do about it.

For months and months, almost a full year now, I had done absolutely nothing to help my lover. Meaningless and time-consuming proposals were sent to and from Persia but they never settled anything. Emir wanted my throne and I wanted Adam back. He wasn't willing to return Adam to me and I wasn't willing to turn over my kingdom—The kingdom Adam and his father worked so hard to build up—over to a ruthless dictator. As much as I wanted Adam home, having him back would mean nothing if we were all enslaved by Emir anyway. Yes, we would be together, but Adam would never forgive me for throwing Egypt to the wolves. I would never forgive myself and I would never allow it to happen. Plus, I didn't really believe that Emir would release Adam if I actually did agree to give him my throne.

After Sebastian's letter, I didn't really feel I had many options left. I could give up my throne and hope that Emir would hold up to his word and release Adam, but that definitely wasn't going to happen. I absolutely could not sit around the palace and wait for my husband to die because if he died like this, I would die with him. My dream from a few nights ago confirmed that. If I lost Adam like this, I would never be able to live with myself. I would never be able to live with the guilt that I failed him. I promised I would fight for him, I promised I would save him and so far I had done nothing.

Well that was over now. Now I knew that I had to do something that involved more than me just sitting around on my ass and waiting for things to magically get better. I needed to go and get Adam back myself. I had to go to Persia and I had to end this once and for all. I knew exactly how I would handle it, but if I told anyone my plans, they would think I was crazy and they would never let me do it.

So instead of sharing my ideas with anything, I decided not to tell anyone. I went to my vanity and set my sketchbook down to a blank page. I couldn't tell anyone that I was going to leave because they would stop me. No, I had to make sure I was too far gone before they found out, which means I had to work fast because I only had a few hours to myself before people started coming to check on me and try to sleep with me.

Pharaoh came over to sit on the vanity, watching me as I wrote. He always looked worried but proud at the same time. It sounded so stupid, because Pharaoh was a cat, but he made me feel like I was making the right decision. I put my left hand on the back of his neck to feel him purring as I wrote a short, very brief letter for whoever was the next person to come in here.

 _I'm sorry, but after everything that has happened, I feel like I don't have any choice but to go to Persia. It's the only conclusion I can come to. I have to do whatever I can to save Adam but no one really seems to understand that. With all of that being said, I am going to travel to Persia, alone, and I'm going to do everything in my power to end this and bring Adam home._

 _While I am gone, I am leaving Cassidy in charge. Cassidy, you're Adam's oldest friend and the wisest man I've ever known. You're the only person I trust to leave the kingdom with._

 _I will get in contact with you all as often as possible, but I have to do this and I understand how you all feel about this. It's dangerous. Yes, it is, but I have to do this. I don't want to put anyone else in danger and no one seems to really be willing to do this with me. I won't force anyone, in fact, I'm happy to go alone._

 _Don't worry about me I'll be fine._

 _Drake~_

It was short and to the point because that was all I had time for. I couldn't spend hours and hours writing this heartfelt letter because I didn't have that kind of time. I really wasn't even promised any alone time for a significant amount of time, so once the note was done, I set the pen down and stood up, petting Pharaoh once and I leaned over to kiss his little head. "I need you to stay here and wait for me to come home, okay, Pharaoh? I know that you, at least, believe me." Pharaoh meowed and butt his head up against my chin, purring like a chainsaw. I couldn't help but smile. Yes, I was scared, terrified really, but I couldn't dwell on it, I had to do this, and Pharaoh believed in me. "Thank you, Pharaoh, I love you."

Pharaoh meowed, as if returning my love and I smiled even more but I couldn't just stand there and talk to a cat all night. I had to be gone before Tommy came back. I had to sneak out of my own fucking palace.

Without a second though, I immediately stripped my clothes and went into the very bottom of my wardrobe, where I kept clothes for traveling and such. First I tugged on a tight pair of black pants that hugged my frame tightly, followed by a thin black sweater with a rolled down turtleneck. It was long enough to flip up and cover my mouth and nose if needed, but for the time being, I left it rolled down around my neck. I latched a belt around my waist and pulled on a black jacket that would keep me warm as night but could be removed during the day. Lastly, I tied my hair up into a lopsided ponytail like I always did when I was younger. My hair was always long enough to do the old ponytail, but most of the time I left it down.

Lastly, I went to my bed and pulled up a few pillows, revealing two handguns. I never had a real reason to use them before, but after Adam was kidnapped, everyone was worried about me as well. I felt more comfortable knowing that I had some sort of protection when I was alone, but until now I didn't really ever touch the guns once I hid them. I stuffed the guns into the back of my belt, hiding them under my sweater and jacket.

I didn't pack too much, just some jewels, a few bits of food a blanket and some extra ammo for my guns. I didn't want to carry too much, but I needed to make sure I had enough to actually live through the trip I was about to take. I would ride out on a motorcycle… and I would demand so see Emir. If necessary, I would kill that son of a bitch for all of the wrong doings he had committed and I would take control of Persia until a suitable leader could be found. Persia couldn't continue to be ruled by a dictator and I was almost positive that if Emir had turned up dead, no one would miss him, except maybe for his bastard guards.

Whatever was going to happen, I was going to get Adam back and we were going to come home. The bottom line was I would accomplish all of this or I would literally die.

With my bag slung over my shoulder and my feet shoved into boots that I had to tuck my trousers into, I left my room. It was late; most of the servants and other workers had gone to bed. I was really only worried about running into one of my advisers or someone who would forcibly keep me from leaving.

Thankfully I got to the throne room without running into a single soul. Perhaps it was later than I first believed, but I wasn't really complaining. I just needed to get down the front steps and get to the bike's storage room.

When I was half way down the steps, I thought I was home free, but then I heard the one thing that I never wanted to hear. "DRAKE!" someone shouted from the top of the stairs. I was sure it was Cassidy, but I didn't turn to look at him. Instead, I bolted down the second half of the staircase, only taking the time to be careful because I was afraid of literally tripping and falling to my death. I could hear the scrape of my boots against the stones, but I could hear Cassidy following me down the staircase as well. "Drake, stop right now, please!" Cassidy shouted just as my feet hit level ground. I was practically ready to sprint to the garage where all of the motorcycles were located and I did so. I was half way there when Cassidy grabbed ahold of my arm, pulling me to a stop.

"Let go of me, Cassidy!" I shouted at him, struggling to pull my arm away from his tight grip but he was determined not to let go of me. He looped his other arm around my waist, pulling me tight to his body.

"No, Drake, Tommy found your note and we are not letting you go to Persia by yourself!" Cassidy practically screamed at me. I fought to get out of his hold, but he was reluctant to let go of me and he eventually managed to wrestle me to the ground.

"Cassidy, get off! I have to go, I have to save Adam!" I shouted but Cassidy's eyes were hard and determined. He wasn't going to let go of me, not anytime soon.

"Not by yourself Drake! We'll go, but you are NOT going by yourself," Cassidy shouted at me, holding me down. "Drake, please understand why I can't let you go alone. You are far too precious to everyone here and to Egypt to let you run off by yourself."

"I have to go…"

"Not alone," Cassidy repeated. "I know you're serious about this. We will organize a trip tomorrow. I am not going to allow you to leave by yourself though."


	150. Chapter 150

**Chapter Thirty-Three: I'm So Far Down, Away From The Sun**

 **Tommy's POV**

I had been sitting in silence on Drake's bed as Cassidy brought the young Pharaoh back to the room. Drake's cat had decided to curl up beside me, purring like a machine as Drake sauntered inside, tossing his bag onto the floor. Cassidy loomed in the doorway, watching Drake as he dressed down into one of Adam's long, thick robes.

Drake didn't say anything. For that matter, neither did I or Cassidy. I stared at Pharaoh, petting behind his ears a Cassidy continued to stare at Drake. Drake gazed upon his own reflection at the vanity, lips pursed and pulled down into a small frown. It was awkward and tense between the three of us, and I couldn't blame either of them. Drake wanted to leave, to save Adam, even if that meant going alone and risking his own life… and I stopped him.

Cassidy sighed softly, dropping his arms from across his chest, "Try to get some sleep. We're leaving at dawn." Before I could ask what he meant, Cassidy left the room, leaving me in silence with Drake.

I turned towards Drake, frowning deeply. "Dawn? Drake, what is he talking about?" I asked, but Drake didn't answer me at first. He just stared at the mirror, seeming to refuse to say a single word. "Drake…" I continued. "What does he mean "we're leaving"?" Drake sighed.

"Cassidy and I are going to Persia tomorrow morning, to save Adam." Drake finally uttered, his voice pained and withdrawn. My eyes widened and my body went rigid. After reading his letter not a half an hour ago, I'd been so scared that he would do something reckless. And while going with someone was better than going alone, it was still suicide…

"I'm going with you."

"No. I need you to stay—" Drake began, but my lips and tongue cut him off before my brain could catch up and stop myself.

"Stay and do what? Pray you'll come home? Pray you'll be alright? I've done a year's worth of that for Adam, I won't do it for you if I can avoid it!"

Drake's eyes locked on mine, hard, through the mirror, anger and grief boiling through them. And, for a moment I wondered if they were glowing in the dim light of the moon and lamp on his vanity, but then I realized that wasn't the case, because he was crying instead.

My heart dropped to my stomach and I hurried over to Drake, watching as the young king dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders trembling something fierce as I pulled him into my arms. "Shh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that, baby…"

"Oh, yes, you did!" Drake hissed, pushing me away. I frowned, staring hard at him. "You didn't want me to go, just like Alex didn't, and Cassidy didn't! None of you want me to do the right thing and _save my husband_!"

"Drake…" I said, sighing softly. "Are you sure? I mean, is this—"

"Is this, what? Truly, the right thing? Is it truly the right thing to go and save the love of my life, or should I let him rot and _die_ in Persia, leaving him with the idea that I never cared?" Drake's eyes were flooding with tears and I felt my heart twice in a vice-like grip.

"You do care, though. More than anyone…"

"Oh, believe me, I know," he hissed, standing and going down to his bed. "The rest of you only care enough to make sure I rule Egypt, but you'll gladly let Adam die in some filthy prison! Well, I can't let that happen!"

"That's not true!"

"Then what is?! What am I supposed to think with all of you degrading me and my ideas? I can't let him die. I _won't_ let him die! Or have you forgotten that without him I am nothing?!" I froze, looking away from Drake. The anguish was so heavy in his face that it was painful to look into his eyes.

"I want him home, too, Drake…"

"Then why did you stop me? Why did you tell Cassidy to go after me? I can take care of myself. I know self-defense and combat, how to handle weapons and drive a motorcycle. I know how to conceal myself and be inconspicuous. If I go alone, none of you will be in danger. You can keep Egypt running and I can get my husband back…" Drake's eyes pierced through me, but I couldn't meet his gaze. I knew if I tried, I would fall to pieces.

"What if you get hurt? What if you… don't come back? What do we do then? What will Adam do?" I asked, staring at my hands. I couldn't begin to fathom the turmoil Drake must have been suffering. But I knew he needed to go. I just couldn't let him go alone.

"Then the Gods can send me to damnation early for not saving Adam sooner. I just hope they grant him eternal happiness in the After… he deserves it." Drake's voice cut through me like a knife and I lifted my head to look upon him. His hair hung in thick curtains around his face, tears continuing to stream. I didn't want to believe that he'd just said something like that and meant it, but I couldn't deny it. There was no jest in his expression. He truly felt like a man whose only reward from life was perdition.

"Drake, don't say that…" I began, but Drake shook his head, keeping his gaze down.

"It's true. Don't try to convince me otherwise, I know it is. I don't need lies to make me think otherwise."

"Drake, you're not a bad person!" I cried. He lifted his head and I felt my soul quiver when our eyes met. "You did what you thought was best. Best for the country, best for Adam. And now you're taking the next step…"

"I should have taken it sooner."

"You were scared…"

"I'm still scared! I'm terrified, honestly! But what about Adam? He's been battling for his very existence for so long now! And I've been here in this forsaken palace, cozy and well-fed! I deserve damnation because I don't deserve Adam! Not after all that I've done to him!"

I kept my gaze on Drake for a long while, unable to look away from the young king. His hard blue eyes swam with a million emotions, all fighting to take control before overwhelming grief made him shudder. I stood slowly, crossing down to the bed before sitting upon it.

"Drake…" I murmured, wrapping my arms around him. "Drake, Adam loves you. He loves you and he needs you more than anything else in this world. You can't give up on him, no matter what…" I told him. Drake trembled in my arms, wiping his tears away from his cheeks.

"Are you kidding? He's not going to want my love or comfort. I've let him down by staying here while he was tortured and ridiculed and _Gods_ know what else for _Gods_ know how long. I let dogs take him and use him as their chew toy!"

I sighed, pressing a kiss to his temple. I wasn't sure what to say anymore. Drake was an individual who, once he got an idea into his head, he was determined to follow through or feel a specific way. Sometimes this was a positive thing, sometimes, like now, it was negative. He was so much like Adam in that respect…

"We're going to bring him home," I said after a moment. "We're going to save him, and everything will be fine, Drake. I promise."

Drake scoffed. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Thomas. You only end up hurting everyone by giving them false hope."

"I know you, Drake. You won't stop until he's home. You won't rest until Emir has paid the price for doing this to Adam, and to you. And no matter how much you belittle yourself and say he won't love you, you know he does. You know he still loves and needs you, that he's still holding on. For you. Because if he wasn't, if he didn't… You would have given up a long time ago."

Drake was still, his eyes unfocused. I'd come to learn that Drake's reserved expressions truly meant that he was thinking. Analyzing, plotting, scheming, re-wording sentences and planning strategies. I'd seen the folder of maps, notes and journals that Drake had collected over the past several months. Each piece contained information from meetings and proposals. Drake might have hated his job, but he was a sure fire natural at it.

I tightened my arms around Drake, holding him close and warm. The young king sighed heavily, leaning into me. Drake's body began to relax and I knew he was tired, so I helped him lay down, tucking him into bed. He didn't protest or say a word, he just let me, resting his head on one of the thick pillows that Adam used to sleep on.

"I'll leave if you want me to," I offered. "Just… please don't run off again."

"I won't, I won't," he said with another heavy sigh. "And… you can stay if you want to. I don't mind."

I smiled softly, slipping under the blankets, cuddling close to him. Drake turned to face me, wrapping his arms around himself as he tucked his face into my neck, purring softly. A moment later Pharaoh stretched and made his way over to us, snuggling on the pillow above Drake's head, his nose pressed into Drake's hair. I smiled more, leaving another kiss on Drake's temple.

"Goodnight, baby," I whispered, my voice soft and lower than it normally was. I was tired, but not as tired as Drake. This was obvious, for he said to me…

"Night, Adam…" There was no doubt that he was already half-dreaming. I glanced down at him, watching his face in the near dark, the only glow of light coming from the moon outside. But, for the first time in a long while… I saw Drake smile.


	151. Chapter 151

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Headstrong To Take On Anyone  
Alex's POV**

"Tommy, I know you want to go, I really do, but we can't bring you. We can't start brining a bunch of people. The small group we have is already too big for Drake's liking and we're already going to have a hard time slipping into Persia," I explained, shoving a few last minute pieces of clothing into my travel sack. I wasn't really packing much… Just enough clothing to get me through for a week, some food and some jewels to look regal once we got to Persia. We had to maintain our appearances of royalty and people to be respected in front of King Emir, or we would be seriously disgraced and mocked.

I was dressed rather simply, black trousers, a loose fitting shirt and a jacket. I didn't look, by any means, all badass like Drake probably would. Speaking of Drake, he wasn't happy about this at all. He was determined to leave by himself last night and he was extremely displeased that Tommy sent Cassidy out after him. Drake hadn't said anything to me or anyone else since Tommy had left his room and I doubted he would talk much once we actually got going. He was pissed and I couldn't really blame him, but at the same time, it was hard to deal with someone who was so thick headed. He wouldn't listen to reason and suddenly no one could get through to him. He was determined to go to Persia, with or without help. If you asked me, he was being irrational and a bit of a supreme idiot.

No one seemed to want to listen to me though, and as long as Drake was Pharaoh, as long as he held the crown, no one would listen to me if he spoke up for himself. I was coming off as mean and cruel hearted. Whenever I opened my mouth to disagree when Drake said he wanted to go to Persia, I was making myself look like the bad guy. It really wasn't like I wanted Adam to rot in Persia because I really didn't want that. Adam was my former lover and one of the best friends that I have ever had in my life. I wanted to see him return home safely but I didn't really see that as a real possibility anymore.

Sometimes I felt like I was the only one being rational about this decision to go to Persia. Riding up to King Emir's palace like it was no big deal and like we were on great terms was likely to be a suicide mission. We could be shot on the spot by Emir's guards or we could be taken into custody and thrown in their dungeons alongside Adam. If Drake really was captured and put in prison, he would probably become the guards favorite play toy because he was young; he was strong enough to take some pretty severe abuse and he was absolutely stunning. Any Persian guard would just bend him over and force him to take it like he was their bitch. They would probably even go as far as making the rest of us watch, or doing the same to us, but Drake would definitely become their favorite. I saw the way those guards, one in particular, looked at Drake when they came with the messengers to deliver proposals.

"I really don't want you to go without me. I want to be able to keep you safe and know that you're safe all the time, Alex!" Tommy cried. After almost watching his best friend and former lover nearly commit suicide, and then finding the note that said he was going to Persia alone, Tommy had been really on edge. He was absolutely terrified that we wouldn't come back or some of us would come back but the others would be dead.

"Tommy…" I sighed, closing up my bag before setting it down. I went to him, taking his hands in my own. "Darling, please don't be so upset… I promise that I'm going to be okay. We're all going to be okay. We'll be back as soon as we possibly can, okay? Don't worry so much," I said, dropping one of his hands to cup his cheek.

"Telling me not to worry is like telling me not to breathe, Alex. How am I supposed to not worry about you traveling hundreds and hundreds of miles on a motorcycle and barging into Persia?" he asked. There were tears in his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. I wished I could have stayed with Tommy but since I was Drake's adviser it was my duty to make sure that he was all right. I couldn't leave that burden on Cassidy alone, that wasn't fair, especially since he was leaving his own lover too.

"I know baby, but try not to worry too much, okay? You know I love you… So much, and I will be back soon," I said softly and l leaned over, kissing him gently but lovingly on the lips. "I promise, we'll all be fine."

"Don't make promises you can't keep…" Tommy muttered, one tear slipping down his cheek. I bit the inside of my cheek, wiping it away with my thumb.

"Don't talk like that, baby…" I whispered softly against his lips and pressed another gentle kiss to those plump, girly lips. "I'll be home soon. For now, keep everyone safe, okay? They're all going to need some comfort and there is no one better for that than you."

Tommy smiled but it was clearly forced and he kissed me gently one more time. "I will… and you be safe too. I know you don't agree with Drake, but you know that he has to do this. He thinks he deserves damnation for not going to find Adam sooner and there's just no way around it… I know you think he's being irrational and overly emotional. I don't think you're being unfair to think that this is a bad idea, but try not to fight with him too much. Try not to get him too upset and please keep him safe, alright? I know you two are in a bit of a tiff, but he's one of your best friends and you both love each other."

"I'll keep him safe, darling," I said, slowly pulling myself away from Tommy. Truthfully, I didn't want to leave him. I didn't want to pull away because there was a very real possibility that I would never see him again… However, I couldn't let Drake go alone. Drake clearly wanted to go on his own, but we just couldn't do that… He couldn't go on his own. He was the Pharaoh of Egypt. He couldn't go off by himself because if something horrible happened to him, Egypt would have no leader at all and we would easily be invaded by Persia. However, there was no way we were going to talk him out of going, so we didn't have much of a choice but to go. Drake didn't see it that way. I knew why he was doing what he was doing, but part of me couldn't help but feel like he was being selfish. "I have to go now…" I whispered reluctantly, pulling my bag up and over my shoulder. Tommy stared at his hands and nodded, not really giving me any sort of decent response. "I love you…"

"I love you too, Alex," he finally whispered and with a heavy heart, I walked out of the room to go join Cassidy, Drake and the three guards we chose to take with us. By we, I meant Cassidy and I. Drake was dead set against taking anyone with him and the only reason he wasn't going alone was because we weren't giving him that option. Even if he left on his own, we would follow after him just to make sure that he had people to protect him and that he wasn't doing something incredibly stupid or destructive, or worse, both.

The small group met in the throne room but Cassidy was still with Hiei, off to the side. Hiei looked tired—well, more like extremely exhausted. His hair was tussled and messy, like he and Cassidy had spent all night making love. Honestly, it wouldn't have surprised me if he and Cassidy did spend the night having sex. Cassidy realized the risks we were taking and if we did die, then last night was truly the last night.

I didn't want to think about it…

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon and I could see the few stray sunrays peaking out, setting Drake's red hair aflame. He was sitting at the top of the massive staircase leading from the bazaar to the palace throne room, dressed in tight black trousers, leather boots and a leather jacket with the collar popped up. He had a bag sitting next to him and his elbows rested on his knees with his hands folded under his chin. He looked like he was just examining Egypt, trying to decide on something, or maybe that look was just determination…

"Please just be careful, Cass," Hiei said and I turned my attention back to them. Cassidy was just a little older than me and Hiei just a little younger than Tommy, but they were a perfect match for one another. Hiei's arms were wrapped tight around Cassidy's neck and he pressed his tiny form to the taller man's. Cass had his arms around Hiei, resting in the small of his back.

"I'll be careful, darling. We're all going to be fine, don't worry so much…" he said quietly and he kissed his lover gently. It was very much the same scene I just had with Tommy, but when you were leaving your lover behind, what exactly where you supposed to do? All you could do was kiss and hug and make empty promises of being all right and coming home.

"I am worried, but I know you'll be fine… Because if you aren't fine or you die on me, I swear to the Gods, Cassidy, I will bring you back to life and beat the living After out of you until you die again," Hiei threatened, burying his face into Cassidy's neck. I could see the faint traces of a hickey on the other adviser's neck and I was sure they spent the entire night making love. Cassidy and Hiei, from the stories I'd heard, had a tendency to get a little kinkier than the average couple and a little rougher. After all, Hiei's bad boy side came out all the time and his threats to Cassidy just showed that.

Their love for one another was completely obvious though…

"If I break my promises, then you have every right to kill me twice, baby," Cassidy replied, bending down a little to kiss the shorter, younger boy on the lips. Hiei melted into the kiss and they looked like they belonged to one another, like they were two halves of matching best friend necklace charms. They kissed for a while and it got a little heavy and passionate, with Hiei's fingers tangled into Cassidy's hair, but eventually they broke the kiss, probably just because they needed to breath. "I'll be home in a couple of weeks," he repeated, kissing Hiei for just a second before he pulled himself away. "I'm sorry I have to leave, darling, but I really will be all right. Don't worry, okay?"

"I'll try…" Hiei whispered, wrapping his now empty arms around himself. There were tears in the boy's eyes, but they didn't let them fall, at least, not until Cassidy, the guards and myself joined Drake on the steps. He didn't let his tears fall until he thought that no one was looking, but I glanced back and so did Cassidy.

Drake was quiet the entire way down the steps, where there were six bikes set up. "You okay, Drake?" Cassidy asked but Drake just gave a gentle nod as a response, not even bothering to give us an actual answer.

I had a really bad feeling that this was going to be a very quiet and a very long trip.


	152. Chapter 152

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Stay Within You Forever  
Drake's POV**

At dawn we began to ride. The sun was only half way up the horizon and we were already a good thirty miles out of the city. In retrospect, we had hardly made any distance, but the less of Egypt I saw in the rear view mirrors of my motorcycle, the happier I became. By no means was I happy to leave my country undefended, but I knew it was necessary. Adam needed me. I couldn't let him down anymore.

Wind whipped through my clothes and specks of sand tapped against the plastic shield of my helmet. I clenched the handle bars tightly, staring at the open road. In front of me were two guards, on either side of me were Alex and Cassidy, and behind us was a third guard, staying close. I tried to keep the guards from coming but Alex and Cass felt they were necessary. Sad as it was, I only saw them as potential victims of whatever Emir had planned. More lives on my conscious.

We rode for what felt like hours, but whenever I checked the time on the side panel of the bike, I'd realize we'd only been going for an hour, two at most. The sun wasn't high but it was hot and despite the cooling system in the helmet, I was sweating. The heat of the bike and the vibration of the engine was keeping my nerves on edge and a little too warm. But I couldn't stop. The farther we got, the better. It meant we were getting closer to Persia. Closer to Emir. Closer to Adam.

Adam never left my thoughts. Not even for moment. Sometimes I would space in the ride. I didn't have to worry much on hitting anything or anyone. There was at least a ten foot span between me, Cassidy, Alex, and the guards, and there was nothing but open desert all around. I couldn't help it. There was nothing to inspire thought in the barren nothingness, and even if I tried to find something to marvel, my mind would go back to Adam.

For a while I wondered what had become of Adam. I hadn't received another letter from either Adam or Sebastian since the last one stating that Adam was sick. Was he even still… alive? Had his condition worsened? I doubted it had improved. Sebastian's urgency was evident in his brief letter, and his mention of decreasing supplies had only added to my stress. But… part of me wanted to believe that, at least, someone would have told me in the event of Adam's passing, whether it was Sebastian…or even Emir.

Gods… Even now, I couldn't shake that dream. It haunted me each night, but Tommy had stayed with me for every sleep since then and I hadn't left my bed. Not with his presence there, anyway. It had been comforting, having another body beside me. Almost as comforting as Adam.

Almost… but not quite.

I pushed Adam out of my thoughts, blinking away tears behind the shield of my helmet. No one would have been able to see me cry, but I knew I couldn't be weak anymore. Adam needed me to be strong, and that meant I needed to toughen up and be as hard and as firm as I could be. Even if that meant expressing no emotion, I would do it. In a few days time, I would be facing the man responsible for my lover's misery. I couldn't show my grief at the absence, and unless necessary I couldn't show rage.

I thought about this morning, how I had been sitting on the steps of the entrance to the palace, looking over my beloved Egypt. Funny how after what seemed like so brief amount of time, it went from being the city I merely lived in to the city I owned. The city I ruled and cherished and provided for. Egypt was truly the most beautiful place in the world. At least, the most beautiful place I'd ever been. I hadn't been to many places, honestly. I'd lived in Egypt my entire life, but Adam took me to visit other countries, too. Libya, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia… even as far as England. Every place was beautiful, but Egypt just… glowed.

Yet no matter how beautiful it was, it couldn't block out Cassidy's goodbye to Hiei. It couldn't keep away how reminiscent it was to Alex's goodbye to Tommy. I didn't have to be present to that one to know what it might have been like. I had to fight the tears with my entire heart and soul and will, yet a few managed to escape. Whenever they did, though, I would just shut my eyes and pretend to concentrate or even pray.

Gods, I prayed. I prayed for everything to go well. I prayed for our survival. I prayed for Adam to be alive and for us to be able to save him and bring him home. I prayed for good fortune and luck. I prayed that we weren't too late… Most of all, I prayed for a chance of success. I wasn't naïve, I knew there were risks. I knew this was dangerous. I also knew it was necessary. There was no patience left in me for peace. Emir didn't want it. So why bother if he was only going to kill my husband more and more every day?

I tightened my grip on the handle bars of the bike, speeding up a little without meaning to. Cassidy, Alex, and the guards adjusted to the speed, but I noticed Cassidy turn a little to face me some, his hair and expression concealed by his helmet. I didn't return the look. I stared straight ahead, trembling lightly.

We rode on for another few hours, and when half-past noon came, we were forced to pull over for a quick meal and water. The heat was rolling in waves off of the sand and sweat dripped down my face and neck, but I didn't bother to wipe it away or worry about it. Sweat meant I was still hydrated. Sweat meant my body was working to keep me cool and alive.

I pulled my helmet off, my hair sticking to my skin and I gulped water from my jug. We'd each packed two large jugs of water, a sack of food, two tents for the six of us, blankets, clothes and jewels. It sounded like a lot, but looking at everyone and their bikes, I wondered if it was enough. Immediately, I pushed the thought away. No, we had enough. More than enough. More than what I'd preferred, but no one seemed to want to listen to me anymore. Quite aggravating to be the pharaoh of a country and your own advisers and guards won't listen to you. Gods, I was a horrible ruler.

I glanced over, wiping my upper lip of water and sweat. Cassidy and Alex looked tired but the more water they drank, the more they seemed ready to go. The guards—Darius, a Persian by blood but loyal Egyptian by birth, Nicholas, a young guard initially working to pay off a debt and ended up staying a guard, and Carter, a skilled fighter though barely twenty—were hydrated and stretching, getting ready to ride again.

I sighed softly, rubbing my chest before pausing for a moment. The heat was beating down hard on me and sweat slid down the back of my neck, but I couldn't move. Beneath my hand was a slight lump, a particular shape. A string of beads connected to an amulet, one that I had a servant acquire for me and had kept hidden.

A pendant of Adam's tattoo.

"Drake, are you alright?" Cassidy asked me. I dropped my hand, taking another drink before nodding once. I shoved the jug back into its place on my bike, pushing my hair out of my face. I was about to put m helmet back on when Cassidy grabbed hold of my arm. "Drake…"

"What?" I asked, sighing heavily.

"Please, stop ignoring me. Stop ignoring all of us."

"I'm not ignoring you."

"You've been silent since last night. Tommy said you didn't say a word after you woke up this morning." I looked away, staring out at the open desert. I had been quiet, but that was because the only person I had any interest in talking to was another good few hundred miles away, locked up in a dungeon.

"I'm not ignoring you," I said grimly. "I just have nothing to say."

Before Cassidy could say another word, I pushed my helmet down over my head, climbing onto my bike. He shook his head and went to his own bike, and in moments we were roaring off towards Persia again.

I felt bad, needless to say, about snapping at Cassidy the way I did. But my patience had run thin, and we were running out of time. Adam was in terrible danger, and the longer he was held captive in Persia, the more likely it became that we would fail. As much as I didn't want to believe the possibility, I had to be realistic all the same. This bullshit idea of peace had gone on for far too long. I wasn't going to lose Adam to my own stupidity.

So we rode, about another hundred miles. The sun was arcing across the broad sky, and the time on the side panel read three thirty. We were making good time, though I knew we would need to stop again soon. I hadn't eaten since the night before and even as I did my best to stave off the hunger, the nausea was creeping in.

We rode until five pm, the heat of the sun at the last legs of torture before we pulled over near a cluster of cacti and tumbleweeds. One would think that such things were only seen in Old Western literature and photos. But we pulled around behind them, our bikes neatly concealed by the height of the cacti and the brush of tumbleweeds. 

I killed the engine, watching the small screen between the handle bars flick off. Each of the bikes had one to be used as a mapping system. It kept us on track, and before it flicked off, it said we had another several hundred miles to go. 

Tugging off my helmet, I let it sit between the handle bars before unloading my bags and water. Darius, Nicholas and Carter were already setting up two small tents while Alex and Cassidy stood off to the side talking, no doubt, about what would happen in Persia. 

But I was more focused on the guards, "We're setting up?" I scowled, watching as the guards stopped in their work. 

It was Alex who spoke first, "Yes," he said, "we have to. We need food, water and rest." 

"We have another three, three and a half hours of daylight though. Why are we stopping?" I had no intentions of being rude, but I was tired of being away from Adam. 

Cassidy sighed, "Drake, we know you miss him—" had I said that out loud? "—we all miss him, but we have to be smart about this. If we go all day without food or rest, we won't have the energy to do it again tomorrow." 

I huffed softly, biting back a comment about our age and stamina difference. Cassidy motioned for the guards to keep setting up, though they seemed reluctant to do so. I turned away, watching the east. The sun was bright and the heat was easing off. We could cover so much more ground— 

"Drake," Cassidy's voice tickled my ear as his hand rested on my shoulder. "Please… I know this is hard and I know you want him back. We're on our way. We'll be there in a few days time." 

I fought tears but they were relentless, and a few slipped down my cheeks. "Adam might not have a few days, Cass..." 

"Honey…" Cassidy pulled me into his arms then. "Don't talk like that. We're going to make it. We're going to save him, I promise." 

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Cassidy…"

"Drake, everything will be fine. We're going to make it." 

"But what if—" 

"No, Drake. We're going to make it," Cassidy repeated. 

"Cassidy—" 

"Don't. Adam's fine. He's fighting for you." I whimpered. "He's fighting because he loves you and needs you. We're going to—" 

"What if he's dead?!" I howled. I'd refrained from thinking it for so long that I couldn't take it anymore. Cassidy stated hard at me, tears in his eyes.

"You were the one who told us not to give up. You were the one who said we had to save Adam, that Adam was fine. That was you. You can't give up. You can't think that. You can't, Drake. You have to hold on, or we'll all fall apart." 

Cassidy pulled away, going to help the others set up as tears streamed my face. I had half a mind to hop on my bike and just leave. Just drive to Persia on my own. I couldn't wait and worry that I would lose Adam forever. But I knew I would never make it out of camp…

I brought a hand up and touched my chest, my palm cupped over the amulet. Closing my eyes, I prayed.


	153. Chapter 153

**Chapter Thirty-Six: In the End, It Doesn't Even Matter  
Eric's POV**

"Momma…" I whispered, wrapping my arms around my mother. When she found out that Drake was going to Persia, she was a wreck. She already lost her youngest child, Anna, and now she was not only facing the possible loss of her son-in-law Adam, but her eldest son Drake as well. I knew my mother didn't love Drake more than she love the rest of her children, but Drake was just a different case. He was her first born and the first child who gave her the title of mother and she was always going to think of Drake as her baby boy. Drake's situation was different because he wasn't our father's real son. My father hated Drake for that and Momma felt the need to protect him because he was always the victim of Father's rage.

She never completely got rid of the instinct to protect her eldest child and I couldn't blame her. For most of his life, especially in his childhood, Drake was weak. I wasn't saying that to be mean or cruel towards my brother, it was just fact. Drake was physically weak and he was usually overly emotional. He got too upset over stupid things and the only thing that made him strong was his drive and determination. He couldn't help the physical part; he was just a small person. For someone his size, he was powerful but compared to average sized people he wasn't strong. The emotional aspect was just what had formed from his childhood. All of us had a hard childhood, but we were loved so much by both of our parents. Drake was always on the defensive and since he was also the oldest, there were unfair expectations that were placed on him.

His determination set him apart from the rest of us. Drake was the one child who wasn't really willing to settle for a second rate life. He was talented and he was destined for something great but he rejected the idea of leaving because he felt like he needed to stay and take care of his family. He didn't leave until Adam's guards took him to pay our debts. Drake and I never got along as children. Drake was the oldest and he always struggled to make ends meet and make Father proud. I was my father's favorite and we always butted heads. Drake was jealous of me, I was jealous of Drake.

Our relationship hadn't really developed until that last few years. I was extremely worried about my brother now but a few years ago? I wasn't entirely sure that I would have cared if he didn't come back. I truly hated to admit that but we hadn't been good brothers before. It was mostly my fault. I never tried to be decent to him…

Right now, now that Drake was gone; I couldn't linger on him too long. I was scared, worried to death that he wasn't going to come home alive, but Momma was probably more terrified than the rest of us combined. Tommy and Hiei were both upset. It was understandable, Drake was their best friend and they were terrified. My little brothers and sister were just as terrified. Really, everyone in the palace thought they were going to lose both of their pharaohs and the entire country hung its head with a heavy sense of dread. I knew Drake was destined for something great and now he carried the entire country of Egypt on his shoulders. I couldn't imagine how he did it, but it was like he was a puppeteer holding onto the heartstrings of every single person in the country.

"Momma, please, Drake's going to be okay… He's going to come home with Adam," I told her, although I was lying. I wasn't sure what would happen. Drake had the drive, he had the brains but he didn't have the strength and I was terrified that would be his downfall. I believed in my brother, but he was facing an entire country practically by himself. I wasn't convinced he could do it, although I wished I could have. Drake needed all the support he could get.

"I hope so, darling, but I'm just not sure I can believe it. I believe in my son, I trust him with all of my heart, but I don't trust the Persians. I don't know what they're capable of," she whispered into my shoulder. Her tears were soaking my shirt, but she was my mother and she was upset. I couldn't be angry with her; I could only hold her and give her hope that her baby would return home.

"I know Momma, trust me, I do. I'm worried, but Drake will pull through. He always does," I whispered, kissing my mother's hair gently. She sighed softly, relaxing into my hold for a while. She was content to let me comfort her, but eventually she did pull away, wiping her eyes with her hands.

"I'm sorry, honey, I just need to be alone for a while. I'll see you at dinner," she said quietly and she kissed my cheek gently. I gave her the best smile I could muster but I was sure that it didn't look very happy or appealing. I was miserable because my brother could possibly be dying, my mother was an emotional wreck and I was growing considerably too close to Sauli. There was just too much going on in my life that I couldn't control and I hated it all more than anything else. I felt like my life was in the hands of everyone but me and I didn't like it. I should have been in control of my own destiny and my own decisions, not anyone else.

"Okay, Momma. Please come find me if you need me," I said, kissing her cheek as well. She smiled at me, the same sort of smile I had just given her. We both knew that it was false. We both understood that we were just trying to stay positive when, really, all we wanted to do was break down.

I watched my mother leave the room, probably to go walk in the gardens or return to her bedroom. We had been sitting on a small sofa in Drake's art studio. That's where we felt closest to him, because his creations were really just extensions of himself. We felt like we were with him without him really needing to be there and while it wasn't as nice as having Drake with us, it was close enough.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and rubbed them with my hands. I wanted to get up and do something productive, anything that would get my mind off of everything that was happening in my life, but I didn't have the motivation to do anything. There really wasn't much to do but sit around and hope to get some good news from Drake, but they wouldn't get to Persia for several days anyway.

I sat there for a while with my face in my hands. I didn't even hear the door open. I had no idea that someone had joined me until a hand settled on my thigh, pulling me out of my empty world of protection. "Eric?" Sauli whispered. We had been spending more and more time together. He kept saying that I reminded him of Drake; I just wasn't as intimidating because I wasn't the Pharaoh of Egypt and I wasn't so completely heartbroken. Sauli liked Drake, admired him for saving him from the Persians, but he was still afraid of my brother. I didn't really understand it, because Drake wasn't someone to fear most of the time, but I wouldn't call Sauli out for it.

"Yeah?" I whispered, dropping my hands so I could turn my attention to the young man. Sauli and I were the same age; I was just a few months older than him. It was hard to believe that he was as old as I was. He didn't look a day over twenty. Then again, before Adam's disappearance and Drake's depression, Drake didn't look a day over twenty either. Now he looked his age, but he still didn't look old enough to be a Pharaoh.

"You okay?" he asked quietly and he lifted his hand to brush away tears that I didn't even realize had been falling. I sniffled a little; suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I was crying in front of Sauli, although I didn't really understand why I was so humiliated.

"I'm just… I'm really just terrified that my brother isn't going to come home and, if he doesn't come home, what's going to happen to the rest of us? And to Egypt?" I said quietly, sniffling to keep my nose from running in that disgusting way it always did whenever someone cried. There was so much more than just my brother going to Persia. There was Adam possibly dead or dying, my mother who would just be crushed if she lost another child, especially if it was Drake. There was this odd feeling I was growing for Sauli. I wasn't gay! I couldn't be gay! My father would never approve of that!

"I know you're afraid for your brother, Eric, but he's going to be okay… I've never met someone so strong and driven by his own will. He won't let anyone tell him he's wrong and he'll stop at nothing to accomplish what he wants. I've seen it. No one will ever be able to bring him down," Sauli whispered quietly and dropped his hand to rub my back.

"He might be all of those things, but that doesn't really mean that he can best death…" I said sadly and Sauli just frowned. He put his arms around me to comfort me and I found the closeness both enjoyable and alarming. Part of me wanted to pull him closer, hug him back and the other part of me wanted to shove him away. I didn't want to get too close to Sauli and yet, I wanted to get closer than close.

This was not right, yet there was nothing more perfect.

"Don't be so afraid, okay? Drake… He's going to be okay. He'll pull through, I'm sure of it," he said and he leaned up a little. I was frozen in his hold, caught between wanting to shove him away and wanting to pull him closer and it left me just… unable to do anything. I was truly stuck. "And besides, you have people to unload your worries on. I'm always here for you." It was true. Ever since Sauli came here, we had grown rather close. Mostly, I approached him as a close friend but lately, especially at this moment; it felt like we were pushing the boundaries of friendship and into the realm of a relationship.

"Thank you, Sauli," I whispered and he smiled softly.

"You're welcome, darling," he said quietly and he brought one hand up to cup my cheek. For a while we sat in silence, his thumb drawing circles into my cheek. After a while though, he broke the silence that had filled the room. "You know I'll always be here for you, right?" he asked me.

"Of course I know that Sauli and I really—" I couldn't really continue because he gently turned my head so I was looking at him. Sauli's lips pressed to mine quickly, before I even had a chance to protest or even process what was going on. For a moment, I sat there doing nothing. I was shocked and he was giving me a one sided kiss. Eventually my lips molded to his. He tasted like licorice and his lips were alluring. I hadn't kissed someone in quite some time and this was completely amazing.

Then I realized how I was kissing…

Sauli.

I broke the kiss instantly, my eyes wide. Sauli looked equally as shocked because we had both been enjoying the kiss and he didn't understand why I was suddenly breaking away. This had been a long time coming. "I… I'm sorry. I can't do this… Not right now," I said, putting a hand over my mouth and before Sauli could say anything, I was off of the sofa, away from him and out the door.

"Eric!" he shouted after me but I never stopped to look back.


	154. Chapter 154

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Renegade On The Run**

 **Cassidy's POV**

Sweat gathered on the back of my neck from heat and from nerves as we neared the border of Persia. We had been riding for about three days and faced no opposition, yet we knew not to expect such easy traveling to continue. We were exhausted, our provisions were beginning to run out, and we were mere miles from rival territory. Mere miles from our enemy as well as our loved one.

I could see tension in everyone's positions, the strain in their shoulders and legs. They were all just as antsy, just as anxious to get into Persia. But what would we face there? What was waiting for us? Or, worse yet, what wasn't waiting?

I shook the thought away, readjusting my grip on the handle bars of my bike. The engine purred between my calves, surprisingly cool despite having been running since dawn. That was the night thing about today's technology and vehicles, everything was power efficient and conserved energy. They didn't let out as much heat as they had, perhaps, a few hundred years ago.

I glanced over towards Drake, seeing every line, every angle of his body taught and prepared for the worst. He harbored the same fears that I did—he was ready for an attack. Any kind of attack. If there was any doubt in Drake's capabilities before, it was gone now. I didn't have to see his face to know that his jaw was set into a determined scowl and his eyes were ablaze.

I turned my attention away from Drake, looking ahead to see two black dots in the distance, rapidly approaching us. I reached up, pressing a plated button on the lower left side of my helmet. "Darius, Nicholas, Carter," I said. Small clicks sounded and they responded back to me. "Pull up and keep Drake covered. Two unknown subjects are approaching. Alexander and I will flank Drake. Move, now."

The soldiers obeyed, moving up as Alex and I peeled back. The tension stayed in Drake's posture, his grip on his bike's bars white-knuckled. I stayed close to Drake's left side as Alex veered close to the right. Darius was positioned directly in front of Drake with Nicholas and Carter diagonal with Drake.

Up ahead, the two black dots suddenly became six, all figures in dark clothes that rippled in the wind. They wore helmets and gloves, faces covered by plated shields. My heart pounded in my chest as our group neared theirs. For a moment, there was nothing. Nothing but dust trailing and swirling into clouds. Nothing but the gentle purr of engines and sunlight beating down on us, heat waves in the distance like shimmering glass in the sand. Nothing but heat, sweat, tension and a gap that was stitching itself shut quicker and quicker. Nothing…

And then there was a sniper dot, centered on the back of Drake's neck, inching its way towards his helmet.

"Drake!" I howled into the mic of my helmet. The young king jerked, turning his head towards me as Alex flanked in close. I didn't hear the shot, but I watched a spray of blood protrude from Alex's shoulder, misting on his clothes and on the back of Drake's shirt. His pained cries rang through my helmet followed by Drake's desperate attempts to look back and see that his friend and advisor was alright.

Drake veered in close to the side, keeping tight beside me and Alex. Ahead of us, the black figures split off, zooming around to circle us. Darius, Nicholas, and Carter each drew metal plated nine-millimeter handguns loaded with exploding bullets. They were trained for combat on foot, on vehicles, and even in the air, and they each picked off a Persian figure in a matter of moments. Three bodies violently jerked and collapsed from bikes, metal crashing into the sand. The remaining three peeled off.

I glanced behind to see two more black-clad figures, coming in close with gaining speed. Clenching my jaw, I twisted the throttle and turned the bars, spinning in a half circle before jamming my foot against the reverse petals. The tires of my bike spun, dust pooling before I went flying backwards, coming up beside Drake. Flipping a switch on the panel, I set my bike into auto-drive, pulling out my own handguns. Beside me, Drake continued to bombard Alex with concerned questions and me with orders. Orders to pull back, orders to turn around and ride on. When a shot went whizzing past his helmet, he quickly shut up.

Aiming, I fired several rounds off at our pursuers, managing to clip one in the shoulder and the other in the knee. My own knees and calves were pressed tight to the sides of my bike to keep my balance. Sweat slid down my neck as I fired at the Persian soldiers over and over, piercing one through the center of his helmet and the other in the throat. They both went tumbling down in blood, dust, and smoking metal.

Shoving my guns into their holsters, I flipped the auto-drive switch off, twisting the handle bars before racing to catch up to Drake and Alex. The young king's hands were tight on the bars, and Alex clung to his own bike with both legs and one hand. His injured shoulder was still bleeding and his arm was tucked against his stomach. He seemed okay, though; despite the occasional hisses of pain, his breathing had evened out.

"Cassidy!" Darius called to me through the mic, motioning ahead. There was a bride of concrete and steel, barely wide enough for a single-file line. It spanned for a good hundred yards or so, and I knew it was the bridge that connected us to the border of Persia. On the other side, from what I could tell, were the three Persian soldiers who'd fled our first tiff, and an additional six or seven waiting on the sidelines.

"Fuck!" I shouted. Beside me, Drake was stiff. "Alright, slow it down. Darius, Nicholas, Carter, prepare your launchers. Before we hit that bride, I want you to create a cloud cover. Carter, peel off and take Alex. Drake, you'll hop on with me. We'll have to ditch the additional bikes, so pack your stuff. We'll take her down one at a time. Darius and Nicholas, you'll deploy bombs, get their attention away from us," I instructed them, glancing over at Drake. His helmeted head was snapped in my direction, and I could hear the argument that hadn't even erupted yet.

"Alex is injured. They're going to know the difference between us, and I refuse to put any of you in danger." He barked at me. I sighed, slowly my speed some. The others followed in suit. The bridge was still a good distance away.

"Drake, we don't have any other options, and we're running out of time," I told him. Darius and Nicholas had gone into auto-drive and were loading their equipment into packs, swinging them onto their shoulders before loading their guns and launchers. "We're going to make it and we're going to be alright. Now, please, pack your bag and water. Our window of opportunity is closing."

It took a moment but Drake went into auto-drive and quickly packed his stuff. Jewels, water, ammunition, knives, the last of his clean clothes and supplies. Basically everything he needed and brought. Next to him, Alex did the same, though slower since he only had one hand to work with. Carter peeled off, coming up beside Alex, helping him hop from one bike to the other. Drake pulled in beside me, pack slung on his shoulders. I helped him across onto my bike, ignoring Drake's grumbled protests.

I glanced over at Alex, seeing his position and the way he was pressed to Carter. Behind me, Drake copied him. He looped his arms around my waist, tucking his head against the back of my left shoulder, gluing himself to me. The lines of his legs followed along mine, his feet tucked into the slats behind my calves.

I gave the order to Darius and Nicholas, and they fired a few simple smoke bombs off ahead of us. We took off riding towards the bridge, hearts pounding and sweat falling. We gained speed, dust and rocks flying and forming behind us. In front, the smoke bombs cracked open, releasing a thick, massive white cloud that was completely harmless but entirely annoying to drive through.

Biting my lip, I tightened my grip on the bars, the smoke hazy and dense. Drake's arms wound a little further around me. There was a strange pressure that was hard against my spine, a tiny surface area that felt smooth yet irritating. Before I could ask Drake about it, we sped out of the cloud and headed towards the mouth of the bridge.

Darius shot ahead, taking the front of the line. Carter and Alex were next in line, followed by myself and Drake, Nicholas taking up the back of the pack. "Prepare your guns, Drake…" I told him. Drake hummed in response, holding onto me with one arm, awkwardly shuffling to appear injured as he reached for a gun. In front of us, Alex did the same.

The Persian soldiers were dormant for a while, as if watching us. We crossed the first half of the bridge and they curved around to their side of the border, waiting for us. My heart was thrashing in my chest, beating like an angry drum the closer we got. Drake and Alex had their weapons at the ready, but I was unsure if we were really going to need them. As we drew near, the Persians showed no increased hostility.

"Slow it down, Darius," I said, and he obeyed my commands. Carter, Nicholas and I followed in suit, peeling out from the bridge. We stayed in line as we pulled to a stop, and a burly Persian with dark hair and eyes slid off of his bike.

"King Emir has been notified of your arrival and wishes for us to escort you to the palace. Which of you is Pharaoh Drake?" Drake tensed behind me, and I turned my head towards the solider, removing my helmet so that I could clearly speak to him.

"Are we ensured of safe travel to King Emir's palace?" The solider nodded, and Drake removed his helmet behind me.

"I am," he said, his voice hard. It was still strange to me how much he sounded like a man when I'd known him since he was barely more than a boy. He'd grown up so much in such a short amount of time, and now he was even older, even wiser, trapped in a youth's body.

"Follow us." The Persian said, climbing back onto his bike. Drake and I replaced our helmets, watching as the other Persians sped off, expecting us to follow.

"What do we do, sir?" Nicholas said to me through the mic. I sighed.

"Well, Pharaoh. What's our move?" I asked. Drake responded without a moment's hesitation.

"We follow. We save Adam. We put an end to all of this."


	155. Chapter 155

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: When Darkness Turns to Light  
Drake's POV  
**  
The Persians escorted us right up to the palace's front door. I wasn't entirely sure what Emir was trying to get at, but I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Since I was five foot eight I didn't even weight one hundred forty pounds, I probably couldn't even lift him, let alone throw him.

As I ascended the stairs, led by the group of Persian soldiers, flanked by my own guards and my two advisors, I caught citizens stopping their daily routine to stare at the short redhead with gold bangs. I made sure to put on as much jewelry as I could without looking ridiculous. Earrings, ear cuff, necklace, several bracelets and a serpent wrapped around the jacket sleeve of my upper right arm, all strikingly gold against my black clothes. I didn't want to overdo the jewelry, but I had to maintain an air of royalty in the face of my enemies. They had to be reminded of who I was, and that I was not someone to brush off.

Murmurs rose all around us, wondering why the Pharaoh of Egypt was in Persia. I never came to Persia personally; in fact, the citizens of Persia probably had no idea what was even going on. Emir probably never shared the fact that he had taken Adam, Egypt's rightful king, into custody. As far as these people knew, it was probably illness that brought about my rule. Perhaps they were so sheltered, so naïve that they truly believed I had been Pharaoh for years, or they believed that I was Adam. With the way Emir behaved, it wouldn't have surprised me at all if he just told his people nothing. He was a control freak and if he kept his people in the dark about every situation then he had the ultimate control over a huge group of people.

They were at his mercy.

He also believed that I was at his mercy. He thought that he held all the aces and that there was nothing I could do to get Adam back but push for war. My young age and my lack of real ruling experience made me look like a weak opponent, and Emir believed that he could take advantage of me. He had no idea what I was truly capable of but by the end of my brief visit to Persia, he would know and he would regret the day he ever decided to send his guards into Egypt to kidnap Adam. He would regret all of his lies and refusing my proposals. By the time I left Persia, Emir would be on the losing side because if I didn't leave Persia, I would die. I would die rather than fail Adam and my country.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Cassidy whispered to me, barely audible and hard for even me to hear him. I just turned my head enough to look him in the eye, nodded once and looked back. We'd reached the top of the steps and, to my surprise; the palace had a similar layout to my own home. Beyond the top of the steps there were about a dozen pillars holding up the structure in front of us. The room was not cut off from the elements in any way. The front was completely open to a giant throne room. A luxurious carpet lead up the middle of the room; straight to an intricate throne chair and large fountains flanked each side of the carpet.

Other than that, there wasn't much in the room. Murals decorated the walls, but they weren't beautiful in any respect, not like the ones I had done at home. Instead of beautiful, inspiring pieces, the room was filled with bloody, gruesome scenes of dictatorship and forcing people into slavery. Emir always insisted that he wasn't a dictator, that he controlled his people fairly, but looking around at all of the paintings, each more disturbing and inhuman than the last, I knew he was lying. Even pictures of brutal, public executions were forever inlaid in the stone and the air stunk of a misery that was practically visible.

"Hello Pharaoh," Emir said as we were guided between the opposing fountains. "So good of you to come and visit, but really you must be exhausted," he continued, standing from his throne to approach us. "You look tired, bags under your eyes. You all look like you could use a decent night's rest and some.. medical attention, yes?"

"With all due respect, we didn't venture all the way from Egypt for a slumber party," I said, clearly mocking him out in the open but keeping my tone level and I even manage to make it respectable. His guards slowly repositioned themselves around Emir, moving away from my company and me.

"Oh, I know why you are here, Pharaoh," Emir muttered, stepping forward to give me a once over. "But honestly, can't it wait till morning? I'll give you and your friends a few rooms so you can, at the very least, freshen up and get a few hours of rest." Emir snapped his fingers and in the blink of an eye, servants were kneeling down next to him with trays filled with wine, water and light foods in their hands, outstretched towards me. "Please, eat, drink. We're all friends here." What a total load of bullshit.

He must have seen the look of loathing on my face, because he smiled, but if you really paid attention to his facial structure, you could tell that he was really smirking at me. "Thank you, that's very kind, but we also did not come to sip wine and chat over fruits," I say dryly. The truth was, I was starving. We hadn't had a decent meal in days and the more I thought about it, the drier my throat seemed to be. As much as I wanted to take a glass of water from the tray outstretched before me but I didn't trust it. It was probably laced with poison or somehow he found out how much I was seriously allergic to lemons and sprinkled the water with its juices. I sounded paranoid, but I had every single right to be.

"Oh, Pharaoh, don't be like that. I'm just trying to be a decent host. I didn't have much time to prepare, I wasn't exactly aware of your visit, but I'd like to be as reasonable as possible here. Please, take my food as a small gesture of welcome," Emir said and he sounded genuine, but I knew better than that. Dealing with this man for the past year taught me that he was cruel and devious. How could I ever be expected to take anything from this man?

"We've already eaten, while we were stopped about an hour ago. Please, I'm only here to talk to you. Don't feel the need to go out of your way for my sake or the sake of my friends. We don't need your food, your wine or your rooms, we just need to sit down and talk about our situation," I insisted. "We need to finish this, come to some sort of agreement, since we can't seem to do that with miles and miles between us.

"I insist you stay the night and we resume this in the morning. It's quite rude to refuse such hospitality, Pharaoh…" he said, almost tsking me.

Alex came to my side. "Drake, as long as we're together, it might not be so bad… Maybe we should get a decent night's sleep and do this in the morning," he whispered and I knew he was in pain for taking that shot for me. He needed to get the wound cleaned up and properly bandaged, but I didn't like the idea of spending the night in this place. I didn't like thinking that Adam was being held prisoner, sick and dying, somewhere in the dungeons that were surely beneath my feet. I wanted to finish this and I wanted to finish it now.

However I had been ignoring almost everything Alex had to say for weeks now. He was hitting every last one of my nerves but now I thought that he might be right. As long as we were together, there wouldn't be too much harm in staying the night, unless Adam was dying as I stood there, contemplating the best course of action.

"Maybe it wouldn't be such a horrible idea…" I said, although I was very clearly unhappy about it. I was leery about this, but we all needed some sleep whether I wanted to admit it or not. It just seemed right to make sure that we had already settled this before we tried to sleep. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon and soon it would be dark. Would there even be a point in negotiating so late at night? We were all tired; especially my team, and I doubted we'd settle anything within the next several hours anyway. Sleep sounded especially inviting now.

I didn't believe for a second that we were actually safe though. We'd have to take shifts, making sure one or two people were awake at all times. What if the guards tried to imprison us like they had done to Adam? What if we were slaughtered in our sleep or given some sort of horrible injection?

"Very well, but I—" I started and before I could even get my demands out, one of Emir's soldiers had me by the arm, tugging me away from the others. Cassidy instantly stepped forward to intervene but the other Persian soldiers kept him, Alex and my own guards back. Once again, I was face with the realization that I should have trusted my instincts instead of taking Alex's advice.

The guard barely had me out of the throne room before he shoved me up against the wall, pinning me down with one of my hands trapped behind my back. "What do you think you're doing?" I hissed at him and when he smirked down at me, I recognized him from all of the times he had been escorting messengers to my palace. I wasn't quite sure, but I believed his name was Derek.

"Whatever I want to do, Pharaoh," he breathed into my ear and not a second later did his lips crash down on mine. He used hit weight to pin me against the wall and one of his hands dropped to my pants, groping me roughly. Flashbacks of Brad came flooding back to me and, for a moment, I was paralyzed with fear. The corridor was dark, so I hoped he couldn't see the terror in my eyes, but I wasn't that fortunate. He smirked at me, licking my cheek rather savagely, like I was nothing more than his favorite candy.

"Drake! Drake!" I could hear both Cassidy and Alex shouting for me but Emir's guards were obviously keeping him them at bay.

"What's the matter, Pharaoh? Not strong enough to get away? Your friends obviously can't help you and I'm going to have such a good time fucking your ginger ass until your pretty little head pops off," he growls, biting into my earlobe. The fingers of my pinned arm curled around one of the guns hidden under my coat in my belt. I would not give this sick bastard the satisfaction of hearing me scream or hearing me beg and I sure as Hell was not about to let him have his way with me.

"Get off of me," I hissed and he actually laughed in my face, pulling away from me to reposition but it gave me just enough space to pull my arm free and aim my gun, point blank, at his face. "I said get off of me, you bastard!" I shouted at him, finger itching to pull the trigger.

"Please, give me a reason to do it." Derek's previous dominance completely failed him and I shoved him. I didn't really give him an option but to let me go because if he didn't, he'd be missing most of his face.

"Who the Hell do you think you are, Emir?!" I screamed, entering the throne room again. There was shock on everyone's face, because I'd gone from an innocent, skinny and nonthreatening boy to an armed and dangerous man. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I repeated.

Maybe it wasn't the smartest move, to aim a gun at the King of Persia, but one way or another, this was going to end tonight.


	156. Chapter 156

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: One Thing is Evident—Would Have Given All I Had, Would Have Loved You Like No Other…**

 **Sebastian's POV**

Exhaustion pulled at my eyes, my hand falling lax as the pen slid from my fingers. My shoulders felt stiff and there was a crick in the side of my neck that had been pinching my nerves since before dawn. My body desired sleep; between my age, the years of servitude I'd been forced to five for Emir, and the stress of the last several weeks it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. But my mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, thoughts that had plagued my waking moments as well as my dreams.

Adam had gotten worse. Weeks ago I'd gone to his cell and found him lying naked and abused on the grimy floor. Even as I'd picked him up and helped him to lay back on his bed, he didn't say a word, and he flinched the first time I touched him. There had been a light in his eyes that, now, was gone. As if taken, or brutally ripped from him.

When I tried to clean him, he shied away from me, as if my own gentle touch was the equivalent to a venomous snake bite. I managed to wipe away dirty, sweat, and general filth, yet the moment I attempted to sooth swelling with salve, he shoved me away as hard as he physically could—which… in truth, wasn't that hard. He was so weak, it was a wonder I even swayed. He screamed at me, too… I could never forget his words. They were laced with pain and ice, his eyes lost and dark with agony.

"Just let me die," he'd said.

A shiver rolled down my spine at the memory. Such words had haunted my heart, leaving it cold and fearful. For so long Adam held onto hope, even in sickness; he'd been fighting for the chance to see another new day. And now that fire was gone, extinguished from within him. Stolen. And I knew exactly who was responsible, yet there was nothing I could do about it.

I tried with every ounce of might I could hope to muster and possess, but Adam's condition only worsened with each day. It was as if he'd given up the will to live, and while I wanted to refuse the idea that Adam, a man I'd come to see as my friend, even as a son, would give up, I couldn't deny it completely. Adam never seemed to eat anymore, which left his emaciated figure even more skeletal than before… He slept without rest, he refused to talk to anyone, refused to move or try to take care of himself… He stopped…everything.

I sighed heavily, staring down at the pages of my journal. Often I would write my thoughts as well as Adam's condition, and how it progressed, but with everything that had happened, everything that had continued to happen, I could hardly focus. It was hard enough before when I had been caring for dozens of people, and making trips out to other countries, the farthest being Egypt…

Thinking about my patients brought tears to my eyes. Between lack of supplies, poor living situations and next to no nutrition, most of them had died. Men and woman of all ages, races, sizes and social backgrounds had withered away to nothing with only their hand in mine and my gentle prayers to send them off to the After. Even a young woman, barely more than a girl, had fallen to a terrible fever. She'd been a beautiful Samoan traveler, an instant and unfortunate favorite amongst the guards here. She'd gotten pregnant and, despite barely eating even a single meal during a day, she'd carried her child to full term and birthed a beautiful, albeit underweight, baby girl.

I remember she died in child birth, sweat and tears on her face and her features exhausted. She'd caught one glimpse, one tiny glimpse of her baby before she smiled for the first time in months. She continued to smile while she held her baby. She told me to care for the child, make sure she survived. I remember that I tried. I tried to care for the child but my supplies were so low, and while Emir was cruel towards his prisoners, he was ungodly towards the infant. The child had died not even a week after her mother.

Biting my lip, I brushed away the tears that had gathered in the corners of my eyes. That girl trusted me with everything to care for her child, and I'd failed her. Just the same, Drake had entrusted Adam's care to me, and I'd failed him, too…

"Gods," I murmured, folding my hands in front of my face, my eyes tightly shut. "Please… please, I'm lost as to what I'll do if Adam doesn't make it… I don't know what I'll tell Drake.. my wits are thinning and my breath is short. I am utterly exhausted, yet I know I must keep fighting. I will keep fighting, but, please, aid me… I am lost and time is running short. I fear that there is only so much left in Adam before he wills himself to die. Please, I beg you…"

A part of me felt rather foolish. I was hardly a religious man and only ever prayed in the most dire situations, such as now. In truth, I didn't want to pray; I wanted to go to someone, anyone, be close to them and vent all of my frustrations out into the open. I wanted to cry, and I wanted to yell for all of this agony that I felt, all of this turmoil. I wanted to curl up in a beloved's arms and just stay there forever, weeping.

Tightening my hands together, an image flashed across my mind. An image of a woman with rich brown hair, fair skin and eyes as deep as and blue as the sea. She had a smile that could lift you up and a touch to keep you grounded. It had been years since I saw her last, but her beauty never once faded from my mind. Her laughter still rung as clear as sweet bells in my heart.

It had been years since I saw her, but I never stopped thinking of her. She was always on my mind in one fashion or another. Whether it was in my work, and how she once told me that I would be a great man, saving the lives of many. Sometimes it would be in my dreams, and we would just lay together in darkness, her breath fanning across my skin. In rare occurrences, I would see her in the faces of those I encountered. Someone would have her eyes, another would have her hair. Only one individual had been a spitting image of her and yet he was just as far from me as she was…

My eyes fluttered open, tears streaming down my cheeks as her name rolled off of my tongue in an anguished whisper. I missed her more than I could ever hope to express, but just as quickly as my thoughts and desires had been filled with her, they vanished at the sound of shouting and heavy footfalls outside of my door.

I wiped at my cheeks before pushing from my desk. My legs groaned in protest at the sudden movement, but I crossed to the door with little else in the way of pain or resistance. The shouts, from what I could hear, were loud and frantic, spoken in thick Persian with mottled accents. Normally, the guards spoke English, as it was a more common language and more widely used than the old language. The fact that the guards had resorted to their native tongue only proved that something was wrong.

I wrenched the door open, watching several guards dressed in light armor rushing passed my door, heading towards the stairwell that led to the ground floor of the palace. I frowned, carefully slipping from my room, past guards who were unaware of my presence. It wasn't difficult. They were distracted and would pay no attention to a man who often roamed the dungeons alone anyway.

I hurried down towards the center of the dungeons, questioning the prisoners as I went, pleading to know if they understood what was happening. Naturally, none of them knew. They didn't understand Persian and were just as lost as I was. A part of me was even more frustrated than before, but I knew I couldn't fault the others.

I turned away from them, making my way back in the direction of my own room. But I had no intention of returning there; I wanted to see Adam. No, want was an understatement. I needed to see Adam. I needed to make sure that he was alright, that he was still holding on even if he didn't want to. It killed me to see him so broken and weak, but it made me realize that I needed to be that much stronger for him…

I'd almost made it to his room when the hand of a rather monstrous guard clapped around my arm, pulling me back so hard I swore that my shoulder had been ripped right from its socket. Luckily, it hadn't. "Where d'you think you're going, slave?"

I frowned softly, "There is someone who needs my aid immediately." I told him. It wasn't a complete lie; Adam did need me, even if he was unwilling to admit it.

"Let the fuck rot and get back to your room," the guard gave me a rough shove into a wall and I hissed as my shoulder slammed hard into it. "Go on, get a move on, or I'll—"

"Danarius!" A voice called and the two of us glanced over. Another guard stood watching, a man I recognized as being named James. His eyes were hard and focused on Danarius, who was scowling back at James. "You're supposed to be above with the rest. Go, before Emir has you suspended for disobeying orders!"

"And what of you?" Danarius questioned. "Why aren't you there?"

"I was told to stay here and keep an eye on the prisoners. I will escort this one back to his room, now _go_." Danarius complied with a grumble and disappeared down the hall. I clenched my jaw and bowed my head, knowing with all my heart that I needed to be with Adam, but I couldn't rebel against another guard. I'd be beaten for sure.

I'd just turned away to walk back to my room when James called me. "Doctor?" I turned, keeping my head bowed to him as he walked up to me. "Look at me…"

James' voice was soft, borderline gentle, and I obeyed. His eyes were concerned. "You were going to see him? Adam?" I frowned but nodded slowly. I couldn't understand why James would show anything other than what the rest of the guards showed him, but all I could hope for was that he had a heart and knew what it meant to be compassionate.

"Yes, I was," I told him. "But I understand I must return—" James shook his head.

"No. Go to him. He's going to need to, if he doesn't already."

"Why..? Please, tell me, what is going on?" James' eyes sparkled in the low lighting of the dungeon hall and I swear I saw the beginnings of a smile.

"The Pharaoh of Egypt—Adam's husband—has arrived. And he's determined for his demands to be met. Go to Adam, tell him the news. If all ends well, they will be reunited tonight.." James started to leave, gently easing past me when I caught his arm, stuttering before finding my words.

"Why are you helping us? Why do you care?" I asked him. James' eyes softened.

"You are not the only man here forced to serve. Your talents lay with medicine and care. Mine are in battle. I am tired of this palace and these barbaric people, and I long to return to my home in England, where my family is waiting. Perhaps with Pharaoh Drake's arrival, this nightmare will end for everyone who deserves peace."

With that, James trotted off, and I felt a swelling in my heart that left me nearly paralyzed against the wall. I clutched my chest, willing the beats to steady before I hurried off to Adam's cell, a new found energy thrumming through my veins like a second wind. Excitement pushed my stride longer, filled my lungs deeper and pulled the smile wider and wider on my face. Drake's appearance clarified everything. The panic of the guards, the rushing and shouting and barking of orders.

Turning a corner, I raced down a long and narrow hallway before skidding to a stop at Adam's cell. I grabbed the ring of keys that had been left, abandoned, on their hook across from his door, unlocking the gate before sliding it open. Adam lay on his cot, his back to me. He was wearing a ratty pair of trousers that were several sizes too large on him, held to his hips with a thin drawstring. His exposed back and shoulders were mottled with scars from lashings and bruises from beatings. His ribs were visible, the sharp juts and ridges in his shoulders and spine like mountain peaks in his skin. Short, choppy grey hair was twisted and knotted, the ends tipped in sweat and grease, dirt smeared on the back of his neck.

"Adam," I said, yet he didn't move. If it wasn't for the stuttered tremble in his ribs telling me he was still breathing, I would have feared he'd passed before I could come for him. I went to his bed side, gently rolling him onto his back. He didn't fight me. "Adam, please… It's alright now. Everything is alright…"

I felt breathless with excitement before I stared down at his face. Dark shadows circled his eyes, his lips were slightly parted and chapped, pale and gummy at the corners. Dry skin flaked around his nose. Seeing the front of him made my stomach flip. His ribs were frighteningly visible, his stomach caving in where his cage ended. His hips were disgustingly prominent and his fingers were thin, claw-like. Jagged and dirty nails, blackened with bruises; his pinky was bent to the side a little strangely, and I knew that it was either broken or had healed horribly wrong.

Tears stung my eyes and I rested my palm on his forehead, caressing his skin and his hair. He didn't look at me. His gaze was locked with the ceiling, half-lidded and blank. He wasn't present within himself, but I had to make him hear me. "Adam, please… Drake is here. He's here for you… He's come to save you… Adam… Son, please…"


	157. Chapter 157

**Chapter Forty: You May Have Won the Battle but the War Has Just Begun  
Drake's POV**

The palace was suddenly on lock down. Every guard Emir had was pulled away from their duties to come and defend him. This told me that he was really just a coward and I was close to the point of not caring about the outcome. I could blow Emir's brains out and be satisfied, even if I didn't live long enough afterwards to bath in the glory. If I went to my grave knowing that Emir was dead as well, I would die happily. However I didn't plan on dying, not today.

"I don't really know what goes on in your fucked up mind, Emir," I said, my gun still pointed at his face. "But if you think I travelled all the way here from Egypt just to have your guards rape me and throw me in a disgusting cell, you're sadly mistaken." My voice was calm, eerily so and I was even shocking myself, but I wasn't afraid anymore. This just needed to end and what happened to me later didn't matter as long as I won this.

"I assure you, Pharaoh, I have no idea what you're talking about," Emir muttered and it really just baffled me. How was he still able to deny everything and believe the rest of us were naïve enough to believe him? His lies were just becoming ridiculous and it took everything I had not to shoot him on the spot.

"Oh, you have no idea that your guard just tried to rape me in the hall? You have no idea that my husband, the rightful king of Egypt, has been rotting in your dungeons for a year? You have no idea that every single word that falls off of your lips is completely and utter bullshit! Well, consider me the man who will set everything straight for you and the man who will bring you to your knees," I hissed, approaching in once more. I reached into my belt with my left hand and pulled my second gun free. I was right handed, however when it came to hunting, I was rather skilled with both my right and left hand. This wasn't much different because Emir was hardly human.

The Persian King didn't seem too concerned, nor should he have been. In his eyes, I was a foolish child, outnumbered by all of his guards, but this would be the last day that he underestimated me. "You? Bring me to my knees?" Emir asked, laughing as he did so. "Don't make me laugh. That's so ridiculous, you're nothing but a little boy playing dress up in the time your husband has… been away. You're hardly old enough to be married to such an old man, let alone rule a country. You're barely holding on. What makes you think I'll give into you now?"

"Because, Emir, I'm done sitting back and hoping that you'll stop being an asshole and come to your sense. I'm not going to just hand you my throne. However, I've come to understand that this is the only thing you will ever accept to release my husband," I said, both of my guns pointed at him. Several of his guards were pointing various weapons at me, but I wasn't worried. I had a plan, one that I had been formulating for days and days that I shared with no one. I was the only one who could even begin to attempt to execute this, not to mention, if anyone knew about it, they would have tried to stop me. No one would understand. They would call me an idiot; maybe even try to subdue me to keep me from perusing what I've been thinking about for days.

Well, in actuality, when I first got word from Adam that he was alive and holding on, waiting for me, was when I first thought about this. Then it had been a last resort, something I would only do if there were absolutely no other choices. Now I realized that I didn't have much room to come up with another plan. Everything up to this point had failed and I needed to end this now.

"Those are big words for someone so small and pathetic," Emir said, smirking in my direction. Both of my index fingers itched to pull the triggers of my guns, however coldblooded murder was not in my plans. "You think just because you've come to me in person that I'm willing to drop everything and give into your demands? If anything, you coming here is the dumbest thing you've done thus far. So tell me, Pharaoh, what is you big plan now? Are you going to throw a tantrum until I give in?"

"No, Emir," I said, keeping my tone calm and even again. It was a wonder that I was even able to do it, but I managed well enough. "This has gone on long enough, it truly has, and I'm done with this. We have to solve this now, today and I'll make it worth your while. We're going to have one final battle, just between you and I."

"What makes you think I would agree to something like that?" he asked, his face suddenly seriously.

"Because I'm going to give you an offer that you simply can't refuse," I said, shifting the position of my handguns so they were still at the ready, but no longer directly threatening the king's life. With the small army of Emir's guards surrounding me, I couldn't afford to completely drop my defenses, but while I relinquished my proposition to Emir, I needed to be as diplomatic as possible.

"Drake, what are you doing?!" hissed Alex from behind a few guards. Emir's men outnumbered us greatly, which was why I had to go through with this plan, to even the odds.

"Shut up, Alex, don't question me," I growled back, using my peripheral vision to see him. I couldn't let my guard down, but if Alex kept speaking to me like this, I was going to lose any respect these people actually still held for me. Alex was treating me like a child, just like Emir was and I simply wasn't going to put up with it in this setting. _I_ was the Pharaoh of Egypt, not him. Adam left his throne to _me_ and Alex needed to realize that. "In the public eye you will refer to me as Pharaoh until the day Adam has taken his throne back or I lie before you dead. Do not continue to talk down to me, especially in the mixed company of other royalty." My normal soft and gentle voice was gone, replaced with one of hard authority and Alex stared at me, as if shocked by my demands. Honestly, it was very out of character for me, but Alex needed to stop making me look like some kid who had no idea how to do anything.

Emir's eyes fell on my advisers, both clearly ten plus years older than me and he smirked. "All right, Pharaoh, you've caught my interest. If you're willing to step out from behind your protection to confront me directly, I'll respect you enough to listen to what you have to say." He sounded like he was praising my courage and me but I knew what he was saying underneath all of that.

 _You're an idiot and you'll lose this soon enough, so I'll humor you._

"You and I settle this between ourselves. Using advisers and brute force and half bullshit proposals has gotten us nowhere and now that we're face to face, I realize that there really is no safe way to end this. We will never come to an agreement because I want my husband back and you want my throne. Since neither of us will relinquish these things, I suppose that the only way to fairly end this is a duel," I announced. "Between you and me, no interference from outside parties, just you, me and a couple of pistols."

"And? I suppose the stakes are obvious? If I win, which of course, I will, then I get control over Egypt and if you win, you get your husband back?" he asked. He was already counting his prize money, which was his biggest mistake. He was underestimating my ability to poach him like he was some sort of exotic, endangered wild cat.

"Not quite. If you win, you can have Egypt. You can have all of its riches and turn it into another Persia, if your heart so desires. If I win, I want the same. Adam will be returned to me, alive, you will step down from your throne and Egypt will take control of Persia until a suitable ruler can be named," I said. I wasn't interested in extending Egypt's territory. If it came to that, I would, but I would just wanted to see Persia given to someone who would care about the people, someone to fix the corruption of the government.

Alex looked like he was going to blow a gasket out of the corner of my eye. I knew what he was thinking. I didn't have a right to put Egypt on the line like that, but I had every right because I was Pharaoh. It really started to annoy me that everyone was underestimating me, that no one, not even my own advisers, trusted me. I knew exactly what I was doing and I also knew that I could win.

"What makes you think that I'll risk my kingdom like that?" Emir asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Because this is the only way that you will ever get your hands on my throne, Emir. So you can take my offer now, or you can coward out. If I die here without settling this, I have someone ready to take my throne back in Egypt," I said. All right, this wasn't all completely true, but I knew Emir couldn't chance that I was lying. If I had someone else ready to take my place, Emir would be no closer to my throne and his murdering me would cause a war that was his fault and his fault alone.

Emir was silent for a while, watching me with careful, calculating eyes. Eventually he must have come to a decision because a sinister smile crossed his lips. "Very well, Pharaoh. A duel for it all," he said, waving one of his closest guards over. "Bring me two pistols and fetch Adam from the dungeons, will you? He should be here to watch his husband die fighting for him. Or, if he manages to live through this, maybe he can replace Adam as the guard's favorite plaything. He's certainly younger, prettier. I'll try not to kill him for the rest of you."

I scowled at Emir, hating him even more for forcing Adam to watch this. If what he said was true, I had every motivation I needed to kill him because he was allowing his guards to rape Adam… One guard brought Emir two identical pistols, each, I recognized, as having six bullets, just like mine. It took a while for two guards to bring Adam up and the sight of him caused mixed reactions within me. I was relieved to see him alive and wanted nothing more than to go to him and pull him into my arms, but he was sick, horribly so. His skin wasn't even white, it was gray and he was disgustingly thin. His ribs could be counted without physically touching him and his stomach dangerous jutted inward at the end of his ribcage. There was hardly anything keeping his filthy trousers up and his cheeks had hollowed out, his eyes sunken into his skull. The sight of his state terrified me and if he was my size, he would probably be even skinnier than me, which was definitely not good.

"Good of you to join us, Adam," Emir sneered, smirking like the bastard he was. "You're about to witness the fall of your nation and the fall of your husband as well. Drake and I have agreed to a duel but don't worry; I'll try not to kill him. Once he loses, he'll take your place so you can wither away and die while my guards still have a fun toy." It was so hard not to shoot him in the middle of his cocky rant. If I could avoid it, I wouldn't kill Emir, but I wasn't entirely confident in my abilities to restrain myself. I wasn't, by any means, a murdered but Emir's crimes against humanity were worthy of dead and if I was pushed, I wouldn't feel guilty over his death. I couldn't. Emir deserved no such kindness and I owed the bastard nothing.

Despite Adam's sickly appearance and, no doubt, real state, his eyes were wide. The normal bright blue that I often found myself swimming in were dull and gray now, but fear was unmistakable in his eyes. There was a man behind him, shouting at the guards who were handling him and I recognized him as the messenger that always brought Emir's proposals. This didn't shock me because he loved Adam enough to risk his own life in giving me secret messages. Of course he was taking care of Adam, of course he was protective of the man. I doubted Adam had been out of his sell since he was brought here and the sudden shock was just too much for him.

Emir stood opposite me. We stood along the path leading up to his throne, the rest of the guards and peers standing along the sidelines where they wouldn't have to be worried about being hit by the bullets we would soon be throwing towards each other. "Any ground rules, Pharaoh?" he asked, turning to face me. He checked his guns for the appropriate about of bullets. I would have done the same but I already knew how many times bullets were in my pistols already.

"No, just a basic duel. First to become incapacitated loses," I answered. My jacket and sweater were making me sweat, but it was now growing late and with the throne room being open to the elements, it made the room cold. "On the count of three?"

Emir nodded and glanced at Adam. "Count it out for us you pathetic old man," he hissed. Adam seemed distant, like he had buried himself in some pretend world just to protect himself. He was so much worse than I even feared and I was questioning if I would ever be able to make his life better. I couldn't dwell on it, I had a duel to win, but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to avoid confronting him. I always imagined our reunion would be a happy one but now I wasn't so sure.

Sebastian knelt next to Adam, pushing the guard who had tried to rape me away from him. His hands rested on Adam's shoulders. "Adam, you have to count, please…" he said quietly. Adam's eyes were hazy and distant and I could physically see him shaking. He looked at me, but it was more like he was looking through me.

When Adam first spoke, I could hardly even hear him. His counting was slow, timid and he never took his eyes off of me, but I couldn't return his gaze. I had to stay focused. Once Emir was taken care of, then I would go to Adam. It seemed like an eternity had passed in the few seconds that it took Adam to choke out "one… two… three…"

Both of my guns were ready to shoot and the second Adam said "three", I fired, jumping forward to bring me into a closer proximity to Emir. This is how I hunted, quickly with limited reaction time. It wasn't exactly the same now that I wasn't hunting an animal, but a man instead. Well, I used the term man loosely.

My first bullet missed and so did his. He was almost twice my age, slower than me and far too cocky to take me as a threat. It was completely easy to dodge his first bullet by jumping to the side. "You got lucky, you little bitch!" Emir shouted at me, again shooting in my direction. He was aiming for my eye, the left if I had to say, but again, it was easy to dodge to the side, rolling onto the floor. It took less than a second to spring back up, like something out of those old time ninja movies.

"Take this for luck you old bastard," I retorted, aiming for his right hand. It was all too obvious to realize that he was right handed, since he only used his right gun so far. The bullet hit his wrist directly, pulling a sharp cry of pain from his lips and a loud clatter as the gun fell to the floor. I took this opportunity to, again, approach him but it wasn't the smartest idea. He fired at me twice, the first bullet lodging into my right thigh and the other barely missing my head while I dropped to one knee. I refused to scream. There was no way in Hell that I would give this sick bastard the satisfaction of hearing me scream for him. My thigh would need tending to, but it wasn't lodged anywhere near a main arty and, for the moment, I wouldn't need to take care of it. It could be pushed off to the back burner.

"Can't take the pain, you silly child? Maybe you should have thought about this ahead of time!" Emir said, shooting again, but I sprang up, missing his bullet by mere inches, sending another bullet in his direction. It grazed the side of his head, nothing fatal but enough to be alarming and painful. Blood spilled down the side of his face and once I got a better look at him, I realized that he was in pretty bad condition already. The gun I disarmed still sat where he dropped it, his right hand a bloody and mangled mess. He was running out of bullets, but he was still a pretty decent shot with his left hand.

No time to start getting cocky, Drake, you still need to take him down.

My thigh ached, my whole leg hurt and I was limping, but I didn't let it effect me. "This will be the last time you underestimate me, Emir, I promise you," I hissed. We were only several meters apart by this point and the panic was clear on his face. He knew that he had underestimated me, but he wasn't ready to admit defeat. We pulled our triggers at the same time and we were really just too close to avoid the bullets. He was aiming for my eye, again but I was quick enough to divert the bullet to my right shoulder. It was nothing that would kill me but I could instantly feel the blood soaking into my sweater and spilling down over my chest.

However my aim was not to kill him. I aimed for his left hand and struck, leaving him unarmed and unable to defend himself. Once both of his hands were left useless and gunless, I took several slow steps towards him, limping heavily as the pain began to set in. "You do not deserve to live anymore, Emir," I hissed, my guns still raised despite my aching shoulder and leg. "You should die right here, right now… I should pull this trigger and put you out of everyone else's misery. However… now that you are defenseless and you have lost, I cannot justify your murder." I didn't lower my guns, I couldn't do that because he was still alive and a potential threat.

He spat blood at me and that set me over the edge. I shot again but didn't kill him. The bullet went into his side, right under the ending of his ribcage and he was on his back in a matter of seconds. "Consider yourself lucky to be alive and don't push me because I would love a reason to blow your brains out," I hissed, spitting on his now pathetic frame. He was curling in on himself, shielding himself from me and probably the rest of the world. "You lose!"

Then I heard laughing from within the tight ball that was now Emir. "You're foolish to believe I would honor our agreement, Pharaoh. You stupid child," he hissed. There was a gunshot behind me and a second later, the body of one of Emir's guards sprawled out on the floor beside me, shot in the back.

"Drake!" Cassidy shouted, rushing to me. All of Emir's guards, the guards that were armed, were now ready to attack. Cassidy's arm was around me in a matter of seconds and when I looked around, I saw that Adam was gone and so was Alex.

"What—"

"Alex… didn't trust that you would win and he took Adam out before the duel was over," Cassidy said. The fight seemed to last for years, but it had really only been a matter of seconds. I felt enraged that Alex didn't trust me and hurt too. He was saving my husband, seeming like the hero when that was my job! But I couldn't worry about it now because there were a dozen guns pointing at my guards and I. "The rest of us refused to leave you behind. You've been brilliant thus far but we need to figure out a way out of here…"


	158. Chapter 158

**Chapter Forty-One: Never Thought That The Cracks Would Begin To Show  
Cassidy's POV**

Bullets rained down around us as I clutched Drake's hand in mine, pulling him away from where Emir lay crumpled in a defeated heap. Chaos erupted as chunks of stone pillars and pieces of tile sprayed, digging at our ankles and dusting over our clothes. Shots were missing by the slightest inches, and the door leading out of the palace couldn't have been any farther away from us than it was right now.

Sweat slid down my face as Drake and I ducked behind a pillar. Twenty feet to the right, Darius, Nicholas and Carter were each ducked behind other pillars and planter boxes. They had their weapons drawn, sneaking glances back to return fire on the Persians. Beside me, Drake clutched his guns in both hands, fire blazing in his eyes, blood soaked in his clothes, yet his face was calmer than I'd ever seen before…

"We can't take them all, Drake…" I told him, glancing back before clipping a Persian in the knee. He feel with a pained howl.

"Like fuck we can't." Drake snarled, and I gripped the sleeve of his coat.

"Drake, listen to me. I know you're angry. I know you want to make them pay. But they outnumber us five to one, not including Emir. If we go now, we might have a chance of escaping with little injury…"

Drake growled softly, turning towards a guard who'd ducked around the corner. One shot and he was motionless on the floor in a puddle of blood. "Emir deserves to die, and so do all of these rat-bastard-lackeys of his…"

"I know, and I agree, but we can _not—_ " I began, but Drake cut me off almost instantly.

"Do not tell me more of what we can and cannot do, Cassidy. I'm tired of this. If you deserve to flee, by all means, flee. But I will not. I am tired of running and hiding and feeling like a fucking coward, and I will not abandon my duty this time." I gaped at him, almost oblivious to the chaos behind us until a shot cut through the stonework inches from my ear. I locked my jaw, returning Drake's hardened gaze.

"I will not leave you," I said, my tone as firm as my quivering voice would allow. Drake's eyes shifted back and forth in mine before melting in a grateful stare. I nodded to him once before turning from my position behind the pillar, guns raised and fingers itching to pull back on the triggers.

Obviously, the Persians were not anticipating a complete retaliation. Most of them hesitated for a few brief and precious moments, and between the five of us, nearly ten guards went down before they could react. My shots were aimed low, more for wounding purposes than anything. Perhaps Darius, Carter and Nicholas held the same tactics as myself, but I could not be certain. Shots were fired back at us, and beside me, Drake took them down without a thought. Some of his shots hit chests and stomachs, severe wounds, but nothing fatal it seemed. I was glad of this; I knew Drake wanted revenge, but I felt relieved that he wasn't being completely merciless.

Another thought which came to mind was that these Persians were poor shots. Their eyes were either wide and anxious or shut in fear, and their aim was terrible as a result. Shots went wide, beyond reach of harm while ours were calm, practiced and relaxed. During our trip, we'd set up small pieces of rag fabric in various locations all over camp, taking turns at target practice. And, looking now at our shots compared to the Persians', our practice had done more than better our skills, it had given us a tremendous advantage. One by one, the men fell either in screams or muffled groans, and the walls echoed with the ringing of guns and bullets. Smoke swirled thick and heavy in the air, like a storm cloud on the sea.

I sighed heavily, dropping my arms to my sides as I looked around, seeing bodies soaked in red, heaped in moaning clumps against the walls and on the floor. Most of them had died of blood loss or injury. A few others were wounded but still very much alive. Those who were still breathing were clutching arms, legs, sides or shoulders, pale-faced and whimpering like dogs. Even with the living, the scene still looked like a gruesome massacre. I would have vomited if not for the firing of a gun and a pained howl to distract me.

I glanced to my right, realizing that Drake had gone off to the other side of the throne room. He duck around a planter box, and his gun fired again. There was another estranged howl, and I bit my lip a little at the sound. It was worse than the kind of screams that the other Persians had, guttural and full of agony. I shifted, moving across the floor to better see who Drake was attacking now. On the tile was a Persian guard trying to crawl away. Sweat and blood stained his skin and his clothes, and his eyes were wide and fearful. Despite all of this, I recognized him immediately.

Derek.

"Nowhere for you to run, bitch!" Drake growled. I trembled at the sound of a hiss underlying his tone. His eyes were black with blood lust, and for the moment that I looked upon him, I was utterly terrified…

Derek screamed again when Drake fire his gun at him. Both legs were mauled with bullet wounds that Drake paid no mind to as he dug the heel of his boot into Derek's calf. A sneer stretched across the young king's lips, making my stomach churn as he lifted his boot, kicking Derek onto his back. The guard's face was pale, eyes squeezed shut as he breathed shallowly through his nose.

Drake raised his gun, firing it off as Derek howled for mercy. "Mercy?! Why should I show you _anything_ but what you deserve?!"

"P-please, please, I-I-I was f-following or-d-ders…" I rolled my eyes as Drake scoffed.

"Fuck your orders! Fuck your king and _fuck_ your mercy! You showed my husband nothing but pain and foul rage, all because you were following orders?!" Drake shot him again, earning another high pitched wail. "Fuck you! Your little guard-friends tried killing us as we made our way for what was to have been a peaceful conversation, then you tried to take advantage of me because you thought I was easy and defenseless, and you _still_ expect me to show you mercy?!" Another shot. " _FUCK YOU_!"

It took me a long moment to realize that Drake had dropped his aim. HE wasn't firing anywhere remotely close to Derek's face, chest, or even his stomach. No, Drake had his aim lowered to the Persian's groin, and he showed no emotion as he fired round after round off between Derek's thighs. The Persian flailed violently in pain, his voice cracking and cutting out as he screamed. Blood sprayed and soaked the floors before Drake finally stopped.

On the floor, Derek wheezed and trembled, his face ashen and pale. Blood clotted and spilled from between his lips as he stared up at Drake. The red-headed king's eyes were hard and cold, lips pursed in a grim frown. If he felt any remorse, he didn't show it. In truth, I highly doubted he felt any sort of pity for Derek. Gods knew he didn't deserve it in the slightest. He deserved pain and death, and the heat in Drake's gaze only furthered my belief that Derek's suffering wasn't going to end any time soon.

Soft, so soft I could hardly hear it, Drake began muttering in our ancient tongue, eternally cursing Derek's body and soul. His words were wrapped in hatred, dripping with venom as Derek coughed up blood. I watched as Drake raised his gun again, praying to the Gods that Ammut tear Derek apart until the end of time, and that he be shown the same level of compassion that he'd shown to the prisoners, to Adam. With a final curse, Drake fired one last time, putting a bullet in Derek's belly.

Part of me wished that Drake would have fired between his eyes, but I knew that, no matter how much he hated Derek, he would never stoop so low. Years ago, when Drake had chased down and killed Elijah for his attacks on Tommy, Adam and Alex, the entirety of it all had really shattered the young king. For the longest time he'd felt that he had brutally murdered Elijah, that he deserved to rot in the Underworld for what he'd done. In truth, Elijah deserved to die, just like Derek did, and Derek had done far worse damage that Elijah could have hoped to accomplish…

The final echo of whimpers and gun shots had never seemed so loud before. Every breath, ever shift, every dropped bullet case rang like bells and explosions in my head, and I sighed heavily. Exhaustion pulled at me as Drake turned away from Derek's body, limping his way over to me. I'd almost forgotten hat Drake had been shot, himself, by Emir, but there was no pain in his face. There was nothing, really. No relief, no anger, no sadness. Just… nothing.

I tucked my arm around Drake, helping him lope along towards the palace exit. The room reeked of blood and smoke and I had to wonder what would become of Persia. They were now without a leader, and I couldn't imagine that a single soul would want to come and rid this place of the death that had soaked its way into the very framework and sand.

"We'll contact our allies, find someone who will be willing to clean up this mess Emir has made…" Drake mumbled as if he had read my mind. I nodded slowly, unable to form a single word let along a comprehensible response.

Followed by our own guards, Drake and I finally made our way out of the palace. The night had given way to the early streaks of dawn light, cool air kissing our faces. The air smelled clean and fresh, a wonderful alternative to the carnage that lay behind us.

Under the cover of a few sparse tress, Alex sat with Sebastian, Adam curled up in the messenger's arms. Even at a distance, he looked frail, borderline lifeless. I felt a twist in my gut as my heart clenched almost painfully in my chest. These bastards had practically destroyed my lifelong friend. Adam had always been so strong, so sure and secure. Staring at him now, he looked like an enslaved child, helpless and broken without a place to go or arms to fall into.

Under my arm, Drake tensed, his eyes locked on Adam. I knew he was thinking the same things I was, and I knew that all he wanted was to run to Adam and pull him into his arms and just hold him close. But he stayed at my side, riding and, if I wasn't paying close enough attention, I would have thought he wasn't breathing he was so silent. It wasn't until I followed his gaze for a second time that I realized his focus as changed, and the center of his tension wasn't on the battle or Adam's condition.

It was on Alex.

"Drake—" I began, but the redhead pulled away from my arms before I could stop him or get another word in. He limped towards Alex as fast as he possibly could before bringing a hand up and lashing it across the back of Alex's head. I stopped, staring wide-eyed at him. I knew Drake was angry, and I could hardly fault him for it. But I'd never seen him physically attack one of his own before. He'd always kept himself in check when it came to violence. At least, before today, anyway…

"Who the hell do you think you are, Alexander?!" Drake roared, eyes blazing in fury. Alex staggered, confusion etched on his face. "How could you just leave us in there?!"

Alex's expression changed, then, hardening into something like aggravation. "I felt no joy in leaving, if that's what you're getting at. I was concerned about Adam's safety. You were perfectly fine taking care of yourself and attacking Emir."

Drake clenched his jaw. "I see… While the rest of us fight of Persian forces, risking our lives, you get to play the fucking hero. Sorry, Alexander, but that's not how this works!"

"I wasn't going to stand by and do nothing, Drake—" Alex began, but Drake cut in before he could say more.

"You could have fought! You could have done your fucking duty and fought back with us against Emir and his men! But now! You were concerned about your own fucking skin and no one else's! And don't feed me that bullshit about being concerned for Adam's safety, Adam was completely out of harm's way!"

"How the fuck do you know whether or not he was "out of harm's way"? He was mere feet from where you decided to unload a clip at Emir's fucking face!"

"Gods, for once, can you just trust me? Can you trust that I do, in fact, actually know what I'm doing? Or are you incapable of that since you're so adamant to believe I'm nothing more than a pathetic child?!"

"That's just it, Drake! You are just a child! Throwing yourself into a duel, not only putting your life on the line, but you nearly got the rest of us killed today! And not even today, but yesterday on our drive here! If you hadn't been so determined to come all the way here, none of this would have happened! You need to stop having this psychotic belief that you're this indestructible and immortal thing, because you're not!"

"Enough, Alex!" I shouted, but neither Alex nor Drake seemed to have heard me.

"You little _bitch_ , how _dare_ you speak to me like that! You think I wanted to be here? That I wanted to be pharaoh and fight? Because you're fucking wrong! I never wanted a moment of this, but I've been entrusted with this position, and you _will_ show me respect or by the will of the Gods, you _shall_ be removed from your position! You need to learn your fucking place!"

Alex's eyes flared and I hurried to his side, grabbing his arm. The brunette was trembling with rage as he turned his attention to me. "Calm yourself, Alexander… This isn't the place or the time for this. We're all tired and we've been through a lot these last few days. Please, stop this fighting…"

"Like fuck I'll stop!"

"Learn your place!" Drake repeated, a vein rising in the surface of his throat as he shouted.

"My place?! I _know_ my place, you little brat! My place has been defending your childish ass and covering for your mistakes for the last year!" Drake was infuriated, and it was a wonder he hadn't simply exploded yet…

"Keep it up and you'll lose more than your job, Alexander! I am _not_ in the mood for your bullshit today!"

"You can't seriously expect me to bow down to you again! I've done my job, I've voiced my concerns, I've offered my best options and you've done nothing but shoot me down and shun me for it! I'm sick and tired of you flaunting your power—power that's not eve rightfully yours! Power you don't fucking deserve! Adam was a fool to write his country over to you, because you've done a fucking piss-poor job of keeping it together! Adam would be ashamed of you!"

I gasped, staring hard at Alex in disgust and disbelief for a moment before glancing back at Drake. His face had lost all of the emotion and color in it, but his eyes betrayed the universal war that was boiling and swirling, moments from erupting into fire and chaos. The air was cold and heavy around us and I stared at the king, watching him with such a scrutiny that it was a wonder I wasn't bearing into his soul yet.

In a moment, a single moment, I watched Drake shift his position. He half-crouched into a defensive, stance, hand reaching to the holster on his left hip. He was going for his gun and I felt my heart try to catch up with my body, pounding hard as I surged forward to stop him. Part of me wanted to just let him attack, as Alex had crossed such levels of disrespect that he deserved whatever Drake wanted to do to him. But I couldn't let him. It was one thing for Drake to shoot down and maul the Persian guards, they had been our enemies. Alex was Egyptian. Alex was a friend, at least, he was supposed to be. And Drake's eyes betrayed that he wanted nothing more than to put a bullet in the brunette's skull.

"Drake, don't!" I shouted, watching as he raised his gun, pupils blown black, face pale and almost ashen. Ashen?

I crashed into him, knocking his gun away. He growled, pushing at me with such weak force that I barely moved away from him. I looped my arms tight around him, half-carrying him to the wall that surrounded the palace, pressing him into it, my hands pinning his shoulders against the brick. I was careful to avoid the bullet wound that was gaping there in his right side, and I stared into his face.

Sweat clung in a light layer on his cheeks and forehead, his lips pale-white and heavy shadows under his eyes. I frowned, my heart in my throat as I palmed his cheek with one hand, gasping as I felt how cold he was before going to lift the other when I saw red smeared on my palm. I glanced at his shoulder wound, seeing blood soaked into the cotton and leather of his clothes. His pant leg was soaked where he'd been shot in the thigh. I lifted my gaze back to his face, seeing exhaustion. But it wasn't like any regular exhaustion… Drake was gasping for breath and fighting to keep his eyes open.

"Drake?" I said, gently holding him against the wall as I watched his feet slip. He wasn't holding himself up anymore. I touched his throat before pushing my hand under his shirt, touching his chest.

He was cold, rapidly getting colder even in the early-morning warmth of the desert. I felt my heart begin to race again, thudding heavily against my ribs. "Drake? Drake, come on, stay with me… Stay with me, baby, come on…" I slipped, holding Drake close as I laid him down beside the wall, his head pillowed by my coat.

"Can't…" Drake wheezed, eyes closing slowly.

"Yes, yes you can, come on.. come on, look at me, honey. Look at me, focus, fo— _Sebastian!_ " I howled, hearing the messenger's footsteps as he came over. According to Drake's letters from Adam and even from the messenger, we had learned that Sebastian was a doctor. If anyone could help Drake, it was this man.

Sebastian knelt at my side, his expression reserved, professional even, as he checked Drake's pulse, ripping open the young king's shirt and pants to inspect the wounds. Blood soaked Drake's paling skin and I felt myself tremble, the desire to vomit growing stronger by the moment.

"We need to go, now." Sebastian said firmly, helping lift Drake up into my arms. I cradled him close as the doctor took up my jacket, draping it over Drake, no doubt to keep him warm.

"Why, what's happening?" Someone else called, but I wasn't paying attention to who. I knew what Sebastian was going to say, even though I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't… I couldn't because it was too much… It couldn't be happening…"

"Drake is dying. We have, maybe, five minutes before we lose him…"


	159. Chapter 159

**Chapter Forty-Two: Daddy's Flown Across the Ocean  
Sebastian's POV**

Watching Drake fall was like… Watching helplessly as the last shining star in the sky fade into nothing, leaving only an endless black. We were all so worried about getting Adam and ourselves out of the palace that we never took notice to the injuries Drake sustained in his duel with Emir. He handled them exceptionally well for someone of his size, but now I was cursing myself for not paying better attention. As a doctor, I should have known how dangerous a bullet to the thigh would be if left unchecked and when he went down, I was afraid. Not just for Drake, but for Adam and for the rest of us.

Drake was obviously important to everyone, but he was the only thing that kept Adam going while he was locked up. After Derek raped him, not even thinking of Drake helped to keep his spirits up. If Drake were to suddenly die? What then? Adam wouldn't be able to handle it. He'll probably just give up completely and let Death claim him. If Death wouldn't take him, he would find a way to meet Death personally.

I could not allow this to happen.

Over the course of the last year, I spent every waking day, every single moment I could spare, keeping Adam alive and well. Every single day I told him to be strong and I helped him as much as I could. Even though he was merely a few years younger than me, I adopted him as my own son and I repeatedly promised him that I would get him back to his lover and his country. If Drake died here, I wouldn't be able to properly reunite them and what would Adam have to live for? He already cried "just let me die" on most nights. If Drake left this world and Adam behind, there would be nothing to keep him from following after the beautiful, young redhead.

"Drake!" Cassidy was shouting, trying to keep the young king awake and, basically, alive. "Drake, you have to keep your eyes open! Keep your eyes on me, Drake, we're going to help you but you cannot fall asleep. Please stay with me, baby, please!" There were tears clinging to the adviser's eyes and if I weren't a doctor, I would have been in the same boat. I really didn't know Drake very well, only what Adam told me about him anyway. However I felt like I was, in some way, attached to the boy—it was hardly fair for me to refer to him as a boy after everything he'd done the past year—like I should know Drake inside and out. There was something about him that drew me in and I couldn't understand it. There was absolutely no doubt that he was beautiful and brilliant, but that wasn't what I admired so much. It was almost as if… Oh no, that just sounds so ridiculous.

"We have to get him to a proper hospital, Cassidy, now. He's only got a few minutes before he bleeds out," I said calmly. It wasn't that I was heartless; I just knew how to deal with such situations. If Drake really did die, I wouldn't show my emotions until I was alone and locked away from everyone else. Unfortunately being a doctor did give me the skills to make it seem like lives lost didn't affect me, that they didn't matter. That simply wasn't true, but I had to lock my emotions away to do my job properly. "There's a hospital about five blocks away. We need to get there in the next two minutes. Get Drake onto your bike, the rest of us will follow."

Adam needed a doctor as well but he wasn't literally dying. Cassidy looked like he wanted to argue moving Drake in his condition, but I was a doctor and he knew that, so he simply picked Drake up and rushed down to the bikes they rode in on. Alex helped me to get Adam to another bike. The other adviser seemed to regret his early argument with the man, but he masked his emotions easily. I didn't know anything about this Alexander other than he was an adviser to Drake and looked almost exactly like him, just older. After that argument, I figured he would probably be in a lot of trouble later, but the most important thing was getting Drake to the hospital before he lost too much blood.

Cassidy had a hard time holding onto Drake while trying to drive a bike. I was having the same difficulty with Adam, but he was a little stronger than Drake and was actually able to hold onto me in some fashion. I hadn't noticed before, because I was so distracted by Drake hitting the ground in a pool of his own blood, but since Drake started bleeding out, Adam's eyes were locked on him. Lately his blue eyes had been hazy and unfocused. Now they were sharp and clear and stuck on Drake. He wouldn't look away, like he was transfixed on his lover. He hadn't spoken but perhaps this shock was enough to bring Adam out of his horrible misery…

With the motorbikes, it didn't even take two minutes to get to the hospital, but Drake was still losing blood. His skin was so pale that he looked like a ghost. Death was knocking on his front door and Cassidy simply had to carry him into the hospital. The redhead was small. I couldn't imagine that he weighed more than one hundred and twenty pounds.

"Help! Help us please!" Cassidy was shouting when I was helping Adam through the front door. He needed a doctor as well, but he wasn't actually dying, he was just severely malnourished. A nurse was at Drake's side in a moment, paging for a doctor to come with a stretcher.

"This man also needs medical attention," I said calmly, helping Adam limp over to where Cassidy held Drake. "These two men are the rulers of Egypt. The redhead is dying and if this one doesn't get help soon, he's going to die too. Please, they need immediate attention and you _have_ to keep them together." Adam's eyes were still locked on Drake. Drake was barely conscious, let alone looking around, but for Adam's concentration to be so intent on the young man… It was an improvement in his behavior and he needed to stay with Drake. I was afraid of what would happen if they were separated.

The nurse didn't question me. She didn't bother telling me that once the two were put under anesthetics that it wouldn't matter if they were in the same room or not, they would never know. She just agreed to keep them together. We got Drake onto the first stretcher that came because if he didn't get help in sixty seconds or so, he would be dead. Once a second stretcher was brought out, we got Adam onto it.

I held his hand for just a moment, squeezing it to reassure him. "You'll be with Drake, okay? I promise, you'll be okay and as soon as they tell us we can see you, I'll be back by your side, okay?" I said, squeezing his hand again. He stared at my face, nodding just barely. It was more of a response than I got in weeks.

Soon both of the kings were wheeled away and out of our sight, leaving Cassidy, Alex, Drake's couple of guards and me in the waiting room. We didn't have much of a choice but to wait now. Even though I was a doctor, I didn't work in this hospital. I wouldn't be allowed to roam the hospital or anything, so I sat with Cassidy and I waited. Alex sat for a while on the other side of the room with the guards sitting in the middle. They were still on guard, watching the entrance like hawks to make sure that no threats came for Drake, but nothing would come. Drake had won.

"You've been taking care of Adam and I thank you so much for that," Cassidy whispered after a while of morbid silence. "Drake would be thanking you too if he were able to. I know he'll feel like he's in your debt forever."

"He owes me nothing. He's the Pharaoh of Egypt, after all. When Adam was brought to Persia, I couldn't help but take care of him. He's become like a son to me and I will never accept any sort of compensation for helping him. I just want to go back to Egypt, that's all," I told him and he smiled sadly. I knew it wasn't because of me but because he was scared for his friends. I wasn't entirely sure about Alex's relationship with Adam and Drake but it was very obvious that Cassidy loved them both very much. He was very protective and he was so frightened for them now.

"Well I'm sure that won't be a problem, in fact, I'm sure Drake and Adam will be more than happy to let you stay in the palace. Adam seems very attached to you and Drake will want you to be around because you're the only one who truly knows what Adam has been through over the last year," he whispered, crossing one leg over the other. He looked tired. In fact, the whole team did but they wouldn't sleep. Not until they knew if Drake and Adam were going to be okay. "Drake will want to repay you even if you don't want it. That I am completely sure of…"

I nodded and I knew what he said was true. Drake would feel indebted to me for caring for Adam while he couldn't. I supposed I really couldn't blame him. I wouldn't want to feel like I owed someone so much if I were the Pharaoh, but I really didn't want anything more than to go home and continue my relationship with Adam. There was no way I would be able to just… forget about him. Yes, I had two daughters of my own but they were fully-grown and starting their own lives. My wife had been dead for years. I didn't have much for me… Just my work.

"This is going to sound so strange," I said after a long while of silence. The guards had decided to rotate shifts for sleep so someone was always on guard while someone was getting rest. Alex was curled up with his back to the rest of us. I wasn't sure if he was asleep. My guess was no but we were all exhausted.

"What will?"

"Well… Every time I visited Egypt to deliver a message to Drake, I always felt like… Like I should know Drake on a personal leave, like I do know him in some way even though the only time I ever met him was when I was delivering messages to him for Emir," I explained but once it actually came out of my mouth, it sounded even more stupid than when it was just a thought buzzing around my head.

Cassidy turned to face me and for a while he just studied my face. "Well maybe… I mean this will sound just as crazy but if I understand what you actually mean you look just like Drake. Maybe you really are… I mean… Drake doesn't know who his father is. He was the product of his mother sleeping with her lover before she was forced into an arranged marriage."

"You aren't suggesting that he's my son, are you?" I asked.

"It's… possible. To be honest, you're the perfect age. Did you ever sleep with someone right around when you were eighteen? According to what Drake and his mother say, he was also set up for an arranged marriage but they wanted to at least spend one night together. The way Drake looks at you, it's like he feels the same connection you feel," Cassidy explained.

My heart was pounding so hard, my ears started ringing. The situation he just described sounded so perfect. It was true, Drake looked so much like me, and he just had a more feminine touch that made him absolutely breathtaking. Now that I thought about it, he did look like her as well… "What was his mother's name?"

"Her name is Roza. She lives in the palace with the rest of her children. Drake is the oldest and the only one who doesn't know who his father is…"

"Roza? Oh… Gods…" I whispered, my eyes round but basically unseeing. Nothing else mattered at that moment because I just learned that Drake, the Pharaoh of Egypt, was my firstborn. He was my son and I never even knew about him. If I had known, I never would have left Roza. I already regretted not fighting for her and now… Now I knew that our only night together produced a child?

But we used a condom…

"She was your first love, wasn't she? You… You really are Drake's father, aren't you?" Cassidy whispered, his eyes never leaving me.

"Yes… She was my only love and I can't believe I actually got her pregnant. Oh Gods, if I had known…"


	160. Chapter 160

**Chapter Forty-Three: I'm Calling Out, Gotta Hear An Echo, Gotta Get To You  
Adam's POV**

Sleep had been restless. Meals had not satisfied. Words had fallen mute and any desire left had been burnt out. Desire for necessity, desire for peace, desire for freedom, desire for love. They had been ripped away, set alight and left to burn until the ashes were kicked up and tossed to the sea. Whatever might have been left was nothing more than a fragment, a shell, a shadow, completely incomplete in its entirety.

The human soul can only take so much. The heart can only suffer as much as the minds of others want. When everything else starts to turn, starts to fail, so does faith. So does love. So does the hope to be near, to be whole, to be together again. Too long Heart had been without its basic essentials; Courage had been the victim of aggression and depraved of Reason. For too long, I'd been alone. 

And so I'd followed suit of my heart. Of my courage. They'd begun to fail, so I withdrew, and waited for the rest of me fail with it. 

Whatever might've happened, I could not recall. I remembered witnessing many things, many similarities and differences. But I could not reimagine them. I could not describe them. If I were ever asked to recount the horrors I'd seen and felt, I could only put it into a word. A single-syllable phrase that, for some, would seem vague, but for others it would serve the depth of the universe. 

Pain. 

The memories were hardly more than a blur, small moments standing clearer than others. Words were muddled, gurgled in murky waters, vengeful phrases piercing sharper than the rest. Everything had become compact, pressed together until I could not discern how long I had suffered, if there had ever been a moment of peace, if I was truly, absolutely, free. So many nights I'd dreamt-back when I could dream-of safety, of freedom, of anything that wasn't pain and hate that it seemed almost implausible that I could be free now.

A part of me refused to believe it, that I was safe at last. There were mere flashes of arms, hands, faces, an open stone floor. Images that blurred by, accompanied by the shrill of gunfire and screaming. More hands, hushed voices, and the shrieking had died out as the cold night air touched my face. Urgent words, tears and happiness; though it was a presence I was familiar with, it could not draw me out. It could not make me speak. 

Darkness turned to light and more voices approached. Hands touched me, gentle and warm. Shouting erupted all around, the voices sounding so familiar.. I could hardly make out the words, vicious curses and pained retaliations tumbling over and over, back and forth like spitfire before something hurried, panicked and utterly terrified shot through me, making me tremble violently, jerking in such a way that was painful as I had been immobile for months. 

"Stay with me, Drake! You can't fall asleep!" 

I had recognized the voice instantly. Cassidy. And in that moment it seemed as if everything shattered and fell back into place for me. Like a wall that had been built up just came tumbling down. I looked, truly looked, towards my lifelong friend, clutching my love-my Drake-in his arms, shaking him, crying and yelling for him. His face was stricken with grief, covered in sweat and dust, tears streaking down his cheeks. In his arms, Drake was white with faded eyes, parted lips, soaked in blood... 

For the first time in months, my heart hurt. 

That felt like forever ago... Since that moment, I could not take my eyes off of him, off of Drake. I feared, truly feared, that if I looked away for even a moment I would lose him. And to be so close, close enough to touch... 

Try as I might, I could not reach him. The strength to move, to even crawl to my beloved was lost to me. I sat helpless as his eyes drifted shut and Cassidy pulled him closer before I felt arms around me, pulling me to my feet. I was practically carried to a bike, Alex behind the bars and Sebastian behind me, holding me against him so that I would not fall. 

Morning light had been coming quickly and gold rays glittered across the sand as we rode. The whole way I kept myself pressed to Alex's back, watching Cassidy cradle Drake as he drove. My heart was doing flips and dives in my stomach, and I felt myself tremble as we neared the hospital. 

The rest of it was a hectic blur. Cassidy carried Drake, calling for immediate assistance while trying to keep my love awake and alive. Sebastian held me in his arms, no doubt staring at Drake as the nurses came rushing down with a stretcher. Sebastian spoke to one and I was laid down on my back, a blanket draped over me to help keep me warm. 

"...dying...need immediate attention...have to keep them together..." 

Fragments of words graced my ears; my eyes were still locked on Drake. His own were shut, his head turned my direction. Inside, my heart was beating itself against my ribs. If the entire center of my focus wasn't on Drake, I would have curled away, disgusted that they could all see me. See me like this. But I held no worry nor care, other than for the well-being of the young man on the stretcher beside me. 

We were wheeled into a room, each of us lifted onto a massive bed to share. The doctors wasted no time, ripping my love's clothes open to get to the wounds. His creamy colored skin was deathly white, stained red against his thighs, his chest and shoulder. Something soft and strangled sounded before I realized that it was my own voice, my own heart, whimpering and stuttering at the sight of someone so precious, do strong, lying upon a bed of death... 

A hand took my arm, squeezing it gently. I dared not turn, dared not look from Drake. I couldn't. Not now. Not when I could touch his hand with the tips of my fingers. Not when I could feel the iciness of his skin. Not when he looked like... oh, Gods.. 

A cool prick made my arm twitch, and a rush of fire and ice gushed into my veins. I groaned deeply, trying to pull my arm away. The hand tightened, holding me, and I tugged again, grudgingly tearing my gaze from Drake to the woman clenching a syringe whose needle was buried in my skin. 

I opened my mouth to speak, to tell her to stop, to let me go. But my tongue felt heavy, thick in my throat, and I could only sound a guttural moan. My eyes slipped shut as I attempted to pull away one last time. To no avail, she held me firm, and the world closed black around me, a heart monitor beeping weakly nearby... 

For a long while, there was darkness. Warm, succulent, and silent darkness, swirling around like water and smoke. The world was dreamless, an open sea of black that faded in and out before I was able to open my eyes. 

The lights of the room were soft, warm and gentle. The walls were creamy though bare, a large window off to the left. The curtains were drawn to keep out what looked like an afternoon glow off the sands. 

Blanketed and dressed in a white shirt and trousers, Drake lay beside me in silence. Breathing tubes were pushed gently into his nose, the excess tucked around his ears. An IV was taped into the crook of his arm, a plastic clip fastened around his finger to monitor his heartbeat. It was steady, soft, almost hypnotic. 

I lifted my gaze to his face, seeing the dark shadows that bruised his eyes, the paleness of his cheeks, how they seemed a little sunk in when once they'd been boyishly round. His hair, flaming red with hints of gold, now seemed dull and flat against the pillow, dirty and limp. His lips were parted softly, the fullness of them pale, and the skin dry. Never before had I seen him so lost and sickly. Never had I seen him so close to death... 

I bit my lip, stifling the quiver of pain that clenched my throat, squeezing mercilessly. I pushed my hand across the short space between us, gently touching his palm with my fingertips. His skin was warm, though that could have been because of the room temperature. 

Gently I pressed my fingers to the curve of Drake's palm, tracing down towards his wrist until I could feel his pulse beating against my fingertips. It was gently, steady, matching the monitor's incessant beeping, but.. there was more comfort this way. Feeling his heart beating against my touch, feeling my own change its rhythm to match his. 

I kept my hand under his for a long while, relishing in the sensation of having our hearts beat as one. I allowed myself to drift, eyes slipping shut as I followed the rhythm of Drake's heart. I let my grip tighten some, holding gently to his wrist, like anything less would make him slip away... 

"Adam..?" it was soft. So soft I thought I hadn't heard it, until Drake spoke again. His tone was tentative, hesitant even. I opened my eyes, finding Drake's bright blue ones to be watching my face. "B-baby...?" 

I stared at him for a long time, letting myself get lost within his gaze. I'd given up hope that I would ever see him again, and now... Now I couldn't bear the thought of being without him. Couldn't stand the idea of never staring into his beautiful eyes again... 

"Adam..love.." Drake reached up slowly, and I felt myself twitch. It had become a habit-anytime the guards reached out to me, I shied away. I knew, deep within I knew, that Drake was not those guards, but I couldn't stop myself. 

Drake's hand lingered in the air, his eyes touched with concern and hurt, and for a moment I hated myself again. I brought my own hand up, taking his, bringing it to my cheek gently. Drake's fingers hesitated against my skin before spreading out slowly, caressing me. I smiled softly, leaning into him some. 

"Baby—" Drake began again, leaning in slowly. A flash of a memory crossed my mind and I automatically retaliated again, pulling out of his hold, my heart in my throat. Drake gazed at me, eyes hard, glistening with tears as he choked out my name. "—A-Adam..." 

My heart hurt, and I looked away, biting my lip hard enough to break the skin, to bleed. I didn't even flinch. Beside me, Drake sighed heavily. "I... I know you're hurting... I know, but, please... please, Adam.. come back to me.." 

I'm trying, I thought to myself. Gods, love, I am trying.


	161. Chapter 161

**Chapter Forty-Four: Well I Think About It Every Night and Day** **  
** **Drake's POV**

When I dreamt about being reunited with my beloved Adam, it was always so cheesy and cliché. I always expected his eyes to go round with shock, like he couldn't actually believe that I was standing in front of him. There was supposed to be a gorgeous, goofy grin that would break out across his lips when he realized that I was actually standing in front of him. His arms were supposed to open wide and I was supposed to leap into them. We were supposed to star in our own, un-filmed dramatic romance.

This had been my only reoccurring dream that hadn't been a nightmare since Persian soldiers took Adam to their Hell on Earth. Information had come through Sebastian, telling me that Adam wasn't doing so well and that I needed to get him out, but I had been thinking like that since he was first kidnapped. Once I actually saw how horrible Adam's condition was, I had a very hard time believing it. There was no beautiful smile on his face. There was no happiness upon seeing me. All of the dreams I had seemed to fall apart the moment I walked into the palace.

From the time I decided to personally go to Persia, I knew that I would have to fight Emir. The duel had been my backup plan if negotiating didn't work (although I never truly expected negotiation to work. Emir was too desperate to start a war with Egypt). And I had been ready for it. What I wasn't prepared for was to see Adam stare at me as if I were nothing more than a stranger. The vacant, empty look in his eyes was what I expected from someone who was suffering from amnesia or Alzheimer's. His normal bright, crisp ocean blue eyes were dull and gray and they didn't even focus on me.

Obviously my husband not responding to me coming to save him was an issue that needed to be fixed. I needed to find some sort of solution to my problem. Adam was still living in a prison and I needed to bring him out of it. His mind had trapped him inside of a mental barricade to protect him from the abuse of the Persian soldiers and I somehow had to bring him back, show him that he was safe and with people who loved him. He needed to be reminded that he was the Pharaoh of Egypt, no longer a prisoner of war. He needed to know that his friends and family would take care of him. Above all else, he needed to know that I still loved him just as much as I did before he was taken.

That was all easier said than done. I knew what emotional and physical abuse did to someone's state of mind. Adam's abuse had been some of the most extensive I'd ever seen. Bringing him back into his normal life was going to be a challenge. A challenge that I willingly accepted with all of my heart, but I never predicted that I would get into such an intense fight with Alexander. I never expected to start bleeding out from a wound that didn't appear to be that serious. Death had always been a possibility and I had always been ready to die trying to save my Adam, but I expected to die during the initial battle, not get so angry with one of my advisors that I didn't even notice I was dying. After the fight I had with Alexander (I'm still too angry to call him by an affectionate, shortened nickname), I was seriously considering demoting him.

When I finally woke up with Adam next to me, after a doctor saved my life, I couldn't have been happier. The love of my life was with me again and, for a moment, I really did think that maybe things could go back to normal. Maybe Adam had just been too shocked to see us in Persia when he had been locked away from the world for so long. Maybe the battle between Emir and myself and then Alex going behind my back to sneak him out had just been too much, too quick. The trauma he had been through made him a little more than delicate and now that he was away from the dungeons and away from so much commotion, things were getting back to normal.

That fluttering hope swimming up inside my stomach didn't last very long. When I actually reached out to him, he backed away. When I touched him, he flinched. When I spoke to him, he just stared at me, as if he had forgotten our language. I begged him to come back to me and I really had been acting ridiculous. Begging wasn't going to make a difference, it just made me look foolish and desperate. But wasn't I both of those things? I didn't just want Adam back, I needed him back. There was a significant age difference between us and one day I knew I would have to let him go until I joined him in the After, but he was only forty! I was definitely not prepared to let him go. We still had years and years to be together, but part of me feared that I would never be able to heal Adam's mental damage. His body would heal, the doctors and nurses had already made huge improvements on him in the few days we had been in the hospital. He still had not uttered one word.

The doctor put Adam under for a while, to give him a restful, dreamless sleep. It was the middle of the day and all I really wanted to do was take Adam home. Hopefully once he was home, he would be more willing to come out of this shell he crawled into. However the doctor didn't want to let us travel until we were both in better health. As far as I knew, the guards and Alexander had their minor injuries tended too and were doing fine. The guards still took turns keeping watch over our party. I repeated told them this wasn't necessary but they swore to protect me and they would continue to do so.

Arrangements had been made for a plane to come from Egypt but that wouldn't actually arrive for a few more days. Mostly I had been left alone. There was a lot of me talking to Adam, well at Adam, but he didn't really speak. Sometimes it was like he wasn't even in the same reality as me and that terrified me wholeheartedly. If Adam was this far gone, would he ever come back to me? I had to believe that he would, but with every passing hour that I didn't hear the soft, sweet tone of Adam's voice, the more my faith would wear down even more.

I was trying to choke down some horrible hospital food when Cassidy knocked on the door. "Drake? Adam?" he asked. Cassidy had come to see us both every day since we woke up. Sebastian came with him sometimes and the guards would poke their heads in to make sure that we were all right but I hadn't seen Alex once since I passed out in the middle of our argument on the palace steps.

"Come in," I called, loud enough for Cassidy to hear me but not loud enough to disturb Adam, although I doubted anything would disturb him since he was so hyped up on drugs. "Adam's asleep though," I added as Cassidy pushed the door open and stepped into the sterile white room with Sebastian behind him. After that argument with Alexander, I tried not to dwell on what he had said, but there were some hurtful things buried in his list of insults. He told me that I was a child and looking around at everyone, I couldn't help but feel that way. Adam was thirteen years older than me and both of my advisers were around his age. The guards were a little younger, but not by much and Sebastian, even though I didn't really know him that well, was even older than Adam. I was just some snot nosed little punk who was wrongfully entrusted with power. After almost dying and having a lot of silence to think, I realized that most of what Alexander said was truthful and I didn't have anyone to tell me otherwise…

"How are you feeling baby?" Cassidy asked, sitting on the edge of my bed. He put a hand on the small of my back while I pushed the little table on wheels that was holding my lunch away.

"I've been better," I admitted, not actually looking him in the eyes. I had this weird notion that if I didn't look someone directly in the eye, they wouldn't be able to tell how miserable I was, but it never worked.

"I know you're discouraged about Adam, but he's just in shock, baby. He needs time, he'll come around," he whispered, rubbing my back gently. He reached over to pull the table back. "You really should finish your food, Drake. I know it's not that good, but you lost a lot of blood and you need to get your strength back." He even made me seem like a child…

"I can't stomach anymore of the crap, Cass. I want to go home." I wasn't exactly pulling away from his touch, but I didn't lean into him like I wanted to. The only person I really wanted this sort of comfort from was Adam. That probably wouldn't happen for a while, since he was so distant. I needed to be his entire support system without expecting much in return. Of course I was willing to do everything for Adam, but with the weight of Egypt still riding on my shoulders and my diminishing self-esteem due to Alexander, I wasn't entirely sure I was strong enough to balance all of this. There was no way I could let Adam down and I would die trying to do everything for him.

"I know, baby, we'll be home soon," he said. He was just trying to comfort me by using "baby" as an affectionate term. Usually it didn't bother me, everyone in the palace seemed to call one another by baby or honey but now I was just finding it irritating. "Listen," Cass started up again after a couple minutes of silence. Sebastian had taken a seat at the end of the bed, eyeing me while Cassidy spoke to me. "Sebastian and I really want to—"

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked. My tone wasn't harsh or accusing but every time Sebastian came to visit Adam and I with Cassidy, he would watch me, as if he were fascinated with me. I was nothing special. That was made public a few days ago and Sebastian had witnessed it. Did he believe everything Alexander said? Was he staring at me because he was judging me?

Sebastian looked startled when I called him out. Since I hadn't said anything to him before now, even though he had been doing this since I woke up, he probably believed that I was just too stressed or tired to notice it. "Oh… Well…"

"That's actually, um, what we came in here for, Drake. We wanted to see how you and Adam were doing and all of that, but Sebastian and I have something really important to tell you. We wanted to wait until you were stable and recovering. We know that the situation with Adam is upsetting you and we can hardly blame you for that, but this is important. Keeping this away from you just isn't fair to you. You have a right to know," Cassidy spat out, easing the awkward tension between Sebastian and I some. This man was barely more than a stranger and he was sitting on my bed like he was my best friend. Just because he was Adam's friend didn't automatically make him mine. I was definitely grateful to him, but I wasn't ready to call him my friend.

"Okay? What's… What's going on?" I asked, almost hesitantly.

"Well Sebastian is—"

"It's all right, Cassidy, I'll tell him. I should," Sebastian said, slowly moving to a chair that was next to the head of my bed. "Drake, I don't expect you to warm up to me right away. You and I don't know each other well and I hope that will change soon. Adam has told me so many wonderful things about you and from what I've seen you are a magnificent person… What I'm about to tell you isn't going to be easy for you to hear, or even to accept but try to hear me out, all right?"

Suddenly I was afraid of this man's criticism. Alexander was supposed to be one of my closest friends and look at what happened between us. Was Sebastian about to tell me that I really was an idiot? That I was immature and that I needed more help than I was willing to admit? Was he really brave enough to say such things to the current Pharaoh of Egypt and was I even fit to keep that title anymore? I just didn't know anymore.

"Okay?" I whispered, glancing at him. We locked eyes for a moment and I had an odd sensation of looking into a mirror that reflected an image of an older version of myself. Sebastian was very tall, taller than Adam, but he had the same eyes as me. His face was shaped the same, with the same bone structure and if my hair wasn't so heavily dyed, our hair would have matched in that luscious, chocolaty color. No wonder Adam bonded and clung to this man. He looked just like me…

"Cassidy told me about how you didn't know who your father was. That your mother was pregnant before she got married and that you never got to meet your father. He told me all about your mother, Roza, and…" He had to pause to take a deep breath. His eyes floated away for a moment but then he focused back on mine again. "Roza was my childhood sweetheart. We were in love and the night before my arranged marriage, I slept with her. I'm your father, Drake."

My throat ran dry. What I was expecting compared to what was actually said was enough to throw me into shock. A few prominent feelings occurred to me. I should be excited to finally know who my father was. I should be angry for this man leaving my mother. Both of them had arranged marriages but couldn't they protest to be with one another? How could my grandparents be upset with my mother for wanting to marry a doctor? I should be happy that I was finally being united with my father, but I was just stuck in a state of shock.

"Excuse me…?" I croaked out. My throat suddenly felt like it was closing in on me.

"I know… I know, it's shocking, but it's true. I was and still am very much in love with your mother. Now that I know about you, I feel completely terrible. I mean, I always felt guilty for never fighting to be with your mother, but we were both forced into arranged marriages. We both agreed that if we were to defy our families we would not only shame them and ourselves, but it would put us in a position of guaranteed rejection. Moving away would have been too expensive, especially if people were refusing us work… It sounds like I'm making excuses, I'm sure, but Drake, Ra, if I had ever known about you, I would have fought tooth and nail to stay with your mother despite the consequences. She never told me that we conceived. I assume by the time she found out about you, she was already getting ready marry the man you thought was your father. When I found out I was your father, I felt so completely guilty… I should have been there for you. I should have always been there. You should have had a father and I can only hope that one day we can grow close."

"I…" I started to say but what was there to say? I was still too shocked to really process what he was saying. Instead, my brain absorbed it and stored it away for processing at a later time. This was just too much, but something did occur to me. He said he was still in love with my mother. "What about your wife? Kids?" I whispered merely because I couldn't actually comment on how I was feeling. Confused, slightly disgusted, shocked, slightly excited, happy, angry. It was all one giant pool of swirling emotions mixing together in one unrecognizable sum.

"I have two girls, both only a couple of years younger than you. They're both fully grown, married and my oldest has a daughter with another one on the way. My wife died in childbirth and I raised my daughters on my own. I considered going to find your mother when my wife died, but your mother was married and it didn't seem right to try and replace my daughters' mother so quickly. I had no idea that Roza's husband passed away, but I've been forced into working in Persia for years," he explained and slowly reached a hand over to rest against my thigh. "Drake, listen, I know this is a lot to process, especially on top of everything else that's going on in your life. It's… It's a lot for me too, but ever since the first time I delivered a message from Persia and I saw you, I felt like I knew you, like I should know you. It sounds stupid, I'm sure, but I think that was some sort of blood bond…"

My eyes locked onto his hand, still resting against my uninjured thigh. "It doesn't sound stupid," I whispered, closing my eyes for a long while, breathing evenly through my nose. Now I was just trying to make sense of all this and keep my thoughts organized. My emotions were already jumbled together; I really didn't want my thoughts to be like that too. My efforts were failing. "Because the truth is, I felt like that every time I saw you too. I didn't think much of it… And I'm sorry. I'm not sure what type of reaction you're expecting. I just don't know what to make of this right now."

"I understand, trust me, I do. You have a lot to worry about right now but I want you to know, I wish I could have been there for you when you were a child. I should have been there to be your father and I know I can't just step into that role now, but I hope that we can work at it," he said softly. I looked him in the eye for a moment, searching for sincerity. I saw it and I nodded a little, but I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I didn't want to talk at all. Sebastian smiled softly at me and kissed my forehead. "Try to get some rest. You're still recovering and you need it." I nodded again and Sebastian stood up to leave.

Cassidy lingered for a little while longer. "He really does want to make up for not being there, Drake. He's excited to see your mother, hopefully reconnect with her, but he really wants to build a relationship with you," he said softly once Sebastian was gone and the door had closed.

"I… I know… I just don't know how to deal with this right now. With still being Pharaoh even though it's been made obvious that I shouldn't be, trying to snap Adam out of this state of being locked up inside of himself and just trying to physically recover from everything… I'm exhausted. I feel like I'm cracking and soon I'll be crumbling," I told him. This brought a frown to his lips and he tucked a finger under my chin so I had to look at him.

"You are a wonderful Pharaoh, Drake. Everything Alex said in the fight was just him lashing out because he's jealous of you and what Adam entrusted you with. You are an amazing Pharaoh and don't start doubting yourself now. You are strong enough for Adam and for yourself. Don't ever believe anything other than that. Alex is the only one who thinks what you did to handle Emir was immature and inappropriate. The rest of us think you were amazing. We all know there wasn't really another option. You tried everything else before you did what you had to. You are brilliant," he said, staring me in the eye the entire time. I wanted to look away, but he wouldn't let me, like if I stared into his eyes long enough I would accept his word as gospel.

"Thanks Cass," I muttered quietly, tears stinging my eyes. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. All I could do was hug him back.


	162. Chapter 162

**Chapter Forty-Five: I'm Forced To Face The Truth**

 **Alexander's POV**

"Here you are, sir," a nurse said gently, but her tone was clipped, tired. I wondered for a moment if, by some happenstance, that she knew of my part in the events at the Persian fortress. If she knew of the things I'd said to Drake, of the names I'd called him and how I said Adam was a fool to leave everything to him. I wondered if she had any idea at all just how horrible of an individual I truly was.

She left a plate of food on the tray beside my bed. A steamed potato, chicken that looked as if it had seen better days, assorted vegetables, a chunk of bread and some water. I wanted to wrinkle my nose and push it away, but the growl of my stomach and the reminder that, for a year, Adam didn't have even this luxury made me draw it closer. I mumbled a soft "thank you" to her before watching her leave from the corner of my eye.

We'd all been here for several days now, myself, Cassidy, Sebastian, Nicholas, Darius, Carter, Adam and Drake. Every now and then the guards would come by to make sure I was alright. I told them over and over that there was no need for the check-ups, but they insisted. Sometimes Cassidy would come to visit me, to inform me of Drake and Adam's condition. Both of them had made marvelous recoveries, but needed a few more days before they could return home to Egypt.

From what Cassidy had also told me, Adam still hadn't said a word. Not to the doctors, the nurses, not even to Drake. He was silent and whenever someone tried to touch him, he would flinch or pull away. Apparently Cassidy had stopped by once to visit them, and Drake had set his hand too close to Adam's. The king had flinched and pulled away almost immediately. I remember when Cassidy told me that he started crying. Out of nowhere, he burst into tears in front of Drake and Adam, moaning about how he wasn't sure how to help them, either of them…

I felt bad. Not just for Cassidy, or even Drake, but for what I'd done. Over the past year. I felt bad for constantly berating and fighting with him. It had been my duty to aid Drake and support his decisions… But I'd completely failed him. No… I hadn't failed him. I'd practically betrayed him. I'd argued every order, degraded every decision, I'd made him feel incompetent and inferior, all because… oh, Gods… forgive me…

Sighing heavily, I ran my fingers through my hair. It felt greasy and disgusting, but I couldn't worry about it now. There were other more pressing matters at hand that needed my attention. No, not need, required. I needed to talk to Drake, to apologize for everything. And not even just for the things I'd said to him, but the things I hadn't said. The things I'd kept away from him out of shame, fear and regret. I had to tell him…

Slowly, I swung my legs off of the edge of the bed, completely ignoring the untouched food that was beside me. I stood slowly, wobbling some as blood rushed to my knees and toes. I snatched up the white cotton robe that was folded neatly on the chair beside my bed, slipping it on and typing it around my waist. Quietly, I made my way towards the door of my room, opening it before poking my head out into the hallway. I wasn't supposed to leave without doctor permission and a nurse's assistance, but I needed to talk to Drake. Well… I had to try…

Stepping out into the hall, I quickly hurried down to Drake and Adam's room. Cassidy told me once before that they were six doors down the left side and on the right from my room. Moving along as silently as possible so as not to attract attention, I passed each door with caution. The walk, itself, lasted only a few moments, but my was jumping and lodging itself into my throat the closer I got to the door. It felt like any second someone might come around the corner and catch me, and then I'd never get my chance. But I sighed in relief as my hands trembled and I reached for the knob of the door, touching the cool metal.

Why was I so nervous? Why was I shaking at the prospect of facing Drake? Of facing Adam? Why was my heart choking me, making me sweat beneath my robe? Other than my deep regret for how I treated Drake from the night Adam was taken to the night we saved him, I had nothing to be afraid of… Nothing. There was nothing. There couldn't be…

Clenching my jaw, I knocked gently, listening for Drake's soft voice before I opened the door. I hadn't even stepped inside when two sets of blue eyes locked themselves on me., One set was hardened and cold, dark even while the other remained rather neutral, gazing blankly without being vacant. My heart twisted as I turned my focus to Drake again. I had expected Drake to be mad at me for certain, but in this moment he looked livid. Like if he weren't bed-ridding, he would jump and attempt to strangle me.

Despite my nerves and my fears, I stepped closer to the,, trying to swallow the lump that had knotted itself around my windpipe and vocal cords. Trembling lightly, I remained standing in the middle of the room, some six or seven feet from their shared bed.

"What do you want, Alexander?" Drake's voice cut through me like a knife. It had been a while since he'd used that tone and addressed me as Alexander as opposed to Alex. I was suddenly reminded of when I'd first returned to the palace in Egypt, the fervor in which Drake hated me… Oh, Drake… if only you didn't love me now. I'd rather you hate me…

"I wanted to talk… to apologize for everything…" Drake rolled his eyes at me.

"Do you honestly believe I'll forgive you so quickly? Don't you remember what you did, what you said to me?!"

"Drake, I—"

"You told me I didn't deserve my position, that Adam would be ashamed of me…" Hearing my own words like that left an icy grip around my heart. I'd spoke out of anger and vengeful emotions, but I knew there was no way to take it back now. What was said had been said and there was nothing I could do to change it.

Beside Drake, Adam was staring intently at me. The weight of his faze, the swirling orbs of ocean blue plucked at my heart strings, but the cause I wasn't sure of. I felt frozen in place for a long while, caught between staring back at Adam and looking away. I couldn't breathe until he shifted his focus to Drake.

"I know," I finally said, looking down at my feet. "I know, and… I can't begin to express how terrible I feel. I said horrible things out of anger, frustration, exhaustion…" …jealousy… "…and I know none of that excuses even half of what I said. I'm not expecting or asking for your forgiveness, Drake, because I know you won't give it lightly. I've broken a great deal of trust with you and it will be difficult if not impossible to ear it back, if I ever get the chance again…" I lifted my head slowly. "I just wanted you to know that I am, truly, sorry… for everything."

Drake's eyes were hard, his expression completely unreadable. For a year, I had degraded his decisions, argued his suggestions, and questioned his motives. I'd been the worst advisor and no amount of apologies would ever erase any of those mistakes. All I could possible hope for at this point was that he would understand my attempts to make right, even if he didn't accept or forgive them.

Adam remained silent, his eyes shifting back and forth between mine and Drake's. His cropped hair was a dusty silver color, his eyes tired and drugged. Other than the exhaustion and hesitation, Adam looked better than he had when we'd first seen him, dragged from the depths of a dusty and grimy dungeon. His body was still gaunt, bony and bent, but he no longer appeared as Death might have. He no longer looked like he was made of cracked glass.

His eyes found mine again, and my heart jumped into my mouth. I wanted to bite it, chew it up and spit it out onto the floor for making me choke so. The heaviness of his stare made me feel dizzy and suddenly weak. I clenched my jaw as I heard Drake sigh, and I forced myself to look away. Adam, why do you affect me so? Why now?

"I want to know why," Drake said, his voice hard. "Cassidy did not always approve of my decisions, but he supported me none the less. Why couldn't you?"

I couldn't answer him right away. I wasn't sure how, honestly. Well, that wasn't entirely true. I knew how to answer. I didn't know how to say it in a way that would be calm and gentle to hear. My thoughts and my secrets were pushing from behind my teeth, trying to force their way out. I looked away, choking back the words bubbling in my mouth. I felt like a coward… Gods, who am I kidding? I am a coward.

"Answer me, Alexander." I sighed.

"Because I was jealous." I told him before my cowardice could stop me. Drake's eyes widened and Adam's fixed themselves in a hard stare of disbelief on my face. I couldn't look at either of them.

"Jealous…?"

"I… My irrational behavior… my unwillingness to comply with your decisions… all of it was because I was jealous of you, of the power Adam had entrusted upon you. I felt I could do better, which is why I never agree with you on anything. I felt if I proved I could be a leader, then I would have a chance. I called you out on so many instances where I believed you had put us all in danger when, in reality, it was me. Had I trusted you, had I not been trying to compete with you, maybe certain things wouldn't have happened. I'm so sorry for all of it, Drake. I didn't want to hurt you, I just… I wanted something that was never rightfully mine to begin with…"

Drake's eyes were hard, hurt and glimmering with light tears when I looked up at him. His jaw was set and he was frowning slightly. I would have preferred it if he said something, anything. But he didn't. Drake was staring at me in painful silence, and Adam's eyes never left mine. In my peripheral, I could see that they were cold. I felt my heart begin to crack like an eggshell within my chest, but I had to remind myself that I deserved this. I deserved their distaste, their animosity, their hatred. I deserved more.

"I don't know what to say to you," Drake finally mumbled.

"You don't have to… I wish to resign from my position as advisor. My behavior to you warrants more, and I'll accept whatever My King wishes of me…" I bowed my head to Drake with the utmost respect, hoping that he would accept my resignation and allow me to leave in dismal peace. Naturally, I was not so fortunate.

"Alex…" Drake breathes, my shortened name falling from his lips as easily as the venom had not five seconds ago. "Alex, you don't…"

"No, I do. I'm not fit for this. I never was. I humbly request that I be able to remain at the palace, as it is the only home I have, but I understand if you wish me to go, and I will do so without argument. I will never return if you wish it of me…"

Before Drake could speak, a soft, rusty, unused voice came floating into the air. "This… was never about power… was it?"

I looked over at Adam when I realized it had been his voice, his words, filling the silence of the hospital room. That he had been the one to speak. Beside him, Drake was staring wide-eyed at his lover, shock and confusion in his bright blue eyes. Adam gazed, no, glared at me, waiting for my answer with little patience.

"No…" I finally said.

Adam watched me for a long moment before sighing heavily, his eyes tired, betraying his frustration and exhaustion. "You still won't let go," his words were soft, cracked and often hesitant, as if the very action to speak pained him. "Even after all these years, you refuse to let go…"

"I'm sorry, My King… I'm so, so sorry—"

"No, Alex…" Adam began, his eyes hard, grey like stone. "I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I can't give you something y-you shouldn't even want anymore.. I'm sorry I can't m-make you happy. But I'm…not yours, anymore. You're not mine… Drake is. I love him, and I will not leave him… for your sake." Tears stung my eyes and I bowed my head again to them to hide my shame.

"I understand, My King."

"Please leave, Alexander," Drake said softly. I could hear the anguish in his voice. "We will discuss this later."

I turned and left after bowing to them again, tears rolling, my heart broken on the hospital room floor.


	163. Chapter 163

**Chapter Forty-Six: It's True What They Say, There's No Place Like Home** **  
** **Drake's POV**

A few days had passed since Adam first spoke to Alexander. I still couldn't believe what he had confessed to. He still loved Adam? More so just a friend? He was supposed to belong to Tommy. He was supposed to love _Tommy_ and now I come to find that he's still in love with my husband?

I just wasn't sure what to think of Alexander anymore. Before Adam's disappearance, he was a close friend, a good advisor and a great companion. He was Tommy's lover and he claimed that he was over Adam and their former relationship. Adam no longer belonged to him and he no longer belonged to Adam. I was Adam's now and Adam was mine. To learn that one of my best friends had been lying about his feelings all this time? To learn just how jealous of me he truly was?

Well, truthfully I felt betrayed. Alexander was supposed to be one of my very best friends. He was supposed to be my advisor and now I felt like everything that we had built over the years was nothing more than one huge lie. If he still desired Adam's love, then how could we possibly continue to be friends? This is exactly what I had feared when Alexander first returned to the palace.

The only thing that reassured me that I was not in danger of losing Adam to my older lookalike was Adam himself. The first word he spoke was to tell Alexander that what they used to have was gone and that he loved me and wouldn't leave me. Part of me truly felt bad for the older boy, but too much of me felt betrayed to care much.

Besides, I had more important things to care about. Adam was speaking again and he was safe. He wouldn't talk about what happened to him while he was held captive and he wouldn't utter a word about the abuse and torture he went through. I understood that he needed time to adjust to being a king again. For so long he had been treated like he was the scum of the earth, he truly began to believe that he was just that. He forgot his origins and he forgot how truly magnificent he was. I needed to remind him of his glory and as long as he needed me to be his crutch, I would be it.

"Adam, darling, it's all right," I whispered for the hundredth time. Over the last few days, he had warmed up to my touch. He would hold my hand and even nestle into my arms. He was always tense at first, but he quickly learned that I meant no harm. We shared a few brief kisses, nothing overly passionate or heated, but enough to say that we were together again and that was all that truly mattered. "You don't have to talk about it yet. I know that you need time to just adjust. You'll talk about it when you're ready, Adam, and that's all that matters. You're safe, with me…" I reached out slowly and took his hands in mine, lacing our fingers together. He held onto me, looking into my eyes with orbs that reflected both suffering and happiness. He was still suffering his torment, but it was so obvious that he truly was happy to be with me again.

I wasn't the only one who began to doubt whether I'd ever seen him again.

"I want to tell you, Drake, I really do but I just…" he began to say and I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his gently. I didn't seek anything more than to tell him that I was there. "Baby…" he whispered once our tender kiss broke.

"Adam, darling, it's okay, it really is. I understand more than anyone how hard it is to talk about. I went through it all when Brad—" Even now I didn't like to talk about what Bradley had done to me, so of course I understood Adam's inner turmoil. I finally started to see the good that was coming out of what Bradley had done. What he did gave me the ability to help Adam now.

"I know you understand, Drake and I am so thankful for that. I'm not sure I could get through this if it weren't for you," he said softly, bringing a hand up to cup my cheek, the other still intertwined with my own. After about a week and a half of recovery in the Persian hospital, arrangements had been made for a jet to fly from Egypt for us. The doctors finally deemed us fit for travel. We would still need to relax and take it easy, but we were recovering exceptionally well considering how poor our health had been nine days ago, Adam more so than me. His health had been diminishing over the year; I was merely injured during the duel.

We were both dressed in royal dressings, nothing that was too flashy, but enough to mark us as royalty. The jet was here already. We were waiting for eventually to be set up for our departure. Cassidy and Seba—my father—were taking care of most of the preparations. My newfound parent was another issue I needed to deal with but just like Alexander, he would have to wait. Adam was my number one priority.

"I'll always be here for you, Adam, to help you through everything, all right? Always," I told him, nuzzling the hand that was cupping my cheek. It felt so amazing to have my lover touch me again. Sex wasn't even necessary, although I did miss that; I simply loved having Adam's hands on my skin again. Part of me feared I would never have it back.

A soft smile graced my husband's lips. He didn't smile often and never in mixed company, but this soft smile seemed to play across his lips whenever we were alone. He was content to be with me, but a group of people, no matter how small, was overwhelming for him. He was slowly adjusting though. "You are so beautiful… My memories of you didn't do you justice, my love," he whispered, running his fingers over my cheekbone. "You were the only thing that kept me fighting… The only thing that gave me strength."

"Adam…" I said bashfully, blushing deeply. Adam had been through so many traumas and over the last few weeks he had been through so much change and shell shock that he hadn't taken notice to the weight I had dropped. Before I had been too small, now I almost looked like I didn't eat. My skin returned to its former paleness. When I was first brought to Adam's palace at the age of eighteen, I was small and pale. I resembled that now and I was glad Adam didn't' seem to take notice of it.

"It's true, darling. I've miss your eyes," he whispered, his fingers stroking through my hair. He slowly pulled the gold and crimson locks into my boyish, lopsided ponytail and he smiled more. "My beautiful boy." I was so happy that Adam was growing so used to being with me again.

After a while, there was a knock at the door and Sebastian poked his head in. "Boys? It's time to go home. The jet is ready."

"Okay, we're coming," I said over my shoulder. "Just a moment." Sebastian nodded and disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. I stood slowly, grabbing a coat to drape over Adam's shoulders. "Did you know?" I asked him, helping him stand from the bed we had been sitting on.

"Know what, Drake?"

"That Sebastian is my father?" I asked. That stopped Adam in his tracks towards the door.

"What? No, I didn't know what. I thought he sort of looked like you but I didn't have any idea that he was… Oh, Ra…" I stood next to him, taking his hand in my own once again. We made our way out of the hospital room and towards the entrance we had been rushed through a few weeks ago. "How did you find out?"

"He told me. I guess he and Cassidy had been talking about the two of us and of my mother and they figured it out. I'm not—not entirely sure what to think, to be honest. I know that he didn't know about me until a few days ago, but he just doesn't feel like my father," I admitted. My father was a cruel man who was currently rolling over in his grave for being so wrong about me. He told me I would be worthless forever and that I would amount to nothing and be loved by no one special. Sebastian was just a stranger who used to know my mother.

The sun was setting as we exited that hospital and made our way down the steps to meet with the others. There was a small, private jet waiting there for us. Sebastian and Alexander must have been onboard already because I didn't see them. "Sebastian is a wonderful man, Drake and I'm sure that once you get to know him, you will love having him as your father. You deserve a father like him. He's sweet and compassionate."

"I know he's been good to you, Adam, but he's more of a father to you than he is to me," I muttered. As we neared the plane, we glanced at each other, silently agreeing to continue the conversation later. It wasn't exactly a conversation we wanted being overheard.

"Hello my kings," Cassidy said with a gentle grin. Adam gave the smallest, most sheepish of smiles and I smiled as well. "Are you ready to go home?"

"I think we've been ready for a while, Cass. We didn't even really want to stay to recover and you know that," I said and he smiled a little more.

"Well come now, it's finally time. Egypt needs the two of you back. Tommy says the whole palace is frantic at both of your absences, probably the entire country," he said, ushering us onto the plane. We walked up the ramp, boarding the plane with Cassidy following right behind us. The last to join were my guards. "It'll be a long flight, so try to get some rest you two," Cassidy said as he took his seat. There were two large seats waiting for us at the front of plane and a decent nap sounded fantastic.

I took the window seat and Adam sat next to me, his hand still in mine as our arms rested against the cushioned armrest between the chairs. "Cassidy's right, we should try to get some rest," I whispered to my lover, curling up in my chair. Adam agreed and eventually I feel asleep with my head on his shoulder, my fingers still laced with his. His head rested against mine and I slept longer than I planned. I awoke to Adam shaking me gently.

"Drake, baby, we've landed," he said quietly into my hair. I was shocked that I slept so long, but when I opened my eyes I saw that we were right in front of the palace steps.

"Oh, fantastic, everyone will be so happy to see that you're safe," I said, stretching slowly before standing up. Adam led me off the plane, still clenching my hand. My fingers were stiff from holding his hand for so long but I didn't dare remove my hand from his grasp. I knew that he was nervous and tense just from how stiff he was and how desperately he held onto me. Being crowded by a few people made him nervous, so it wasn't hard to expect that he was scared of being flooded with people and questions and relieved faces once we entered the palace. I hoped I would be able to get them all to give him some breathing room.

Once we ascended the stairs, sure enough, there was a small crowd of people. Tommy and Hiei were at the front of the group and Hiei instantly ran to Cassidy, throwing his arms around his older lover's neck. It had been a very real possibility that we were not coming back, that we could potentially die in Persia and now that we came back, relief rushed through all of them.

Tommy and my mother came over to us. Tommy only hugged Adam. No words were needed but the bond between brothers was enough and they hugged for a moment before Tommy went to Alexander, who lingered behind the rest of us. Tommy deserved to know the truth and if Alexander wasn't honest with him, I would be… But it could wait for the time being.

My mother quickly pulled me into a hug, crying and cursing me for leaving without telling her but I knew she was just terrified for my well being as well as Adam's and I hugged her tightly, reassuring her that it was all right. "My babies…" she whispered, finally pulling away from me enough to cup Adam's cheeks. "I was so worried about you, Adam… My son," she practically cried. I could tell that Adam was already overwhelmed by how many people wanted to rush over to him and after my mother's joyful and relieved crying had come to an end, I pulled her aside.

"There's someone else here who wants to see you, Mama," I said softly, pointing towards Sebastian. She gasped, staring at him for a long while before muttering something about explaining later and she rushed to the man who was apparently my father. Her arms were around him in a second and he held her like she was the most important thing in his life.

While I had pulled my mother aside, people decided to ambush Adam and I had to cut through the small crowd. "Guys, guys, please, give him some room to breathe. He's not comfortable with a lot of people yet, please give him space," I pleaded. No one seemed happy about me keeping them back but Adam needed to adjust before he had a dozen people in his face. I returned to his side immediately and took his hand once more. "We'll sit down and discuss what has happened later but for now Adam and I would like to bathe and have a few hours to recover from the long flight," I insisted. No one seemed pleased that, once again, they had to wait for us, but they all seemed to understand our needs and slowly I lead Adam away from the large group. Lovers were reuniting now and the focus shifted from Adam and I to one another.

I took Adam to our room, the room that held so many wonderful and beautiful memories and some very lonely and miserable ones over the last year. Now that Adam was home, I could begin to erase the last year from my memory. We could begin to fill each other with love again and close the holes in one another's hearts.

Slowly I pushed the double doors to our bedroom open and stepped inside, gently pulling Adam with me. Normally we would have been all over each other, kissing hungrily and stripping but now I simply put my arms around his neck and kissed him lovingly, nothing sexual about it. "Welcome home, my darling," I whispered into his lips and slowly his arms found their way around my waist, pulling me close.

"I am so happy to be home, my love," he whispered, burying his nose into my hair, taking a deep breath and sighing in contentment. "I forgot how much I loved the smell of vanilla…"


	164. Chapter 164

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Through The Dark There's A Way**

 **Adam's POV**

When my eyes fluttered open, I found warm brown stones and murals surrounding me. Warm sunlight was streaming through a sky-light opening in the high ceiling, warming the blankets and sheets that were draped over me. I blinked slowly, motionless as the rustling of dried leaves sounded from my left, a breeze kissing my cheek. The soft silence left me feeling comfortable, yet uneasy all the same. These walls were so similar to what I had seen and stared upon for months; had I never left Persia? Where was I? How did I get here? Where were the sounds of chains? Where was the drunken laughter, the tortured screams, the sounds of corpses being dragged across grimy stone floors? Where were the bars of my cell, the cold cot? How did I come by soft blankets and pillows in a room far too massive to be a prison holding?

My breath came hard and ragged, panic clenching at my throat. Had I been taken during the night? Had I been removed from my familiar cell, carted away and brought to service someone of high standing? Someone who would find pleasure in having a broken, used old man such as myself? Was my nightmare merely growing worse? I thought I remembered loving faces, gentle voices and touches. I thought I had seen my husband, my love; his gentle words still whispered into my heart, his hands in mine. Had I imagined it all? Some elaborate or drugged dream to ease my misery as my physical being rotted away?

I trembled, curling myself into a tight ball. The walls and murals felt familiar, but it was trickery. I wasn't home. I was still in Persia, I was still held captive. The memories of hospitals and family and a plane ride… It was all a lie. A fabricated story whispered into my ears as my consciousness dozed away, helpless to the beauty of what I so desperately longed. I was still a prisoner of war, twisted to the wills of sadistic men. I would never return home.

A sob choked itself from my lips as I squeezed my eyes shut. This was hell, pure damnation. The Gods had abandoned me and left me with naught but hopes and dreams of seeing my love, my Drake, again. Yet the images, the words he'd spoken to me, the feel of his skin beneath my fingers and lips… It seemed so real, so vivid. I could smell vanilla all around me and I curled tighter as the bed I laid upon shifted beside me. Oh, Gods… Had my abuser come for me? What would he have? Derek made me scream, made me beg. Would this new, foul, loathsome individual chain me, force me to call him master and act as if I enjoyed him when he had me?

Whimpers tumbled from my lips as a warm, soft hand touched my cheek, sliding up into the monstrosity of my sheared grey hair. The fingers were soft, gentle, and eased my distress as a quiet voice sung its way into the air, close to my face. "Adam? Adam, love, it's alright… Don't cry, love, it's alright…" I sniffed quietly, my heart jumping up into my mouth. I allowed myself the risk of opening my eyes to look up at my companion.

Above me, Drake sat with his knees tucked under him, his hand in my hair, his eyes full of worry. I stared up at him for as long as my eyes would allow, refusing to tear my gaze away even as they stung and teared up. His hair was wet, recently bathed, hanging in thick locks around his face. A white cotton and gold embroidered robe hung from his shoulders, opened in the front to reveal pale skin, a spider web puckered scar, freshly healed, marring the front of his shoulder. Seeing that scar brought everything back in a rush to me. The battle of raining gunfire and gut wrenching screams, a stay at a local medical center, Alexander admitting his feelings, the plane ride home, our friends and family… It hadn't been a dream, a vivid and haunting fantasy. It was all real, all fine.

I sighed heavily, leaning into Drake's touch before crawling up into his arms, my head resting on his uninjured shoulder. Relief washing itself through me as Drake smiled, pulling his fingers through my hair to touch my cheek. "Adam," he cooed gently, caressing my skin. I looked up at him, smiling faintly. "Was it a bad dream?"

I nodded slowly, unwilling to share the horrifying thoughts that I'd been having prior to his arrival at my side. I knew one day I would have to tell him, that I would be okay with sharing my horrors with him. But the wounds were too fresh, the scars had not yet healed and I feared bearing my heart and the truth would end me. Living it once was enough. I did not have the strength to do it twice…

Drake smiled softly despite this. "Come, love… Let's get you cleaned up, alright?" I nodded slowly again, letting Drake loop his slender arm around my waist before helping me out of the bed. I had made a miraculous recovery in the center in Persia, but I was still incredibly weak. It was difficult to do much more than shuffle around. I needed assistance when it came to standing and climbing stairs. Sitting and laying down were fairly easy, thought for me it truly just continued to prove how weak I was, how easy it was just to fall and curl up in defense. While I knew Drake would not wish me to believe such degrading things about myself, it was unavoidable for me. For so long I had been plagued by such thoughts and feelings of worthlessness that it was difficult to even comprehend positivity, let alone conjure it for myself.

Drake guided me up the short expanse of stairs before taking me towards the bath. I'd been cleaned daily while at the medical center, but the idea of submerging myself in warm, vanilla scented waters was more than I could possibly dream of. Silky smooth crystal drops caressing and cleaning me of the filth of my memories. I let out an audible groan of anticipated pleasure as Drake prepared a fresh tub for us, dumping in bath salts and lily petals for extra ambiance.

He turned and smiled at me, the kind of smile that I often found teasing my heart strings and tickling my gut with whimsical butterflies. It was the kind of smile that made my heart dance like it hadn't before in the last year. I attempted an equally comforting smile, though I was certain it wasn't close to the radiant perfection of my love's.

Drake sat on the edge of the tub, testing the waters with his fingers before looking to me. "It's ready, love."

"Have you not already bathed?" I asked. My throat quivered from rusted use. It sounded old, defeated and weak to my own ears, but I knew Drake disagreed.

"Not with you, love," he offered another smile and slipped out of his robe.

I'd told him once before that my memories did him no justice of his true beauty. In naked flesh under the morning light, this thought again returned, only now it seemed to fit the true image of Drake that I cherished. Cream colored skin, painted in vivid tattoos across his back, shoulders, arms and hips, as well as the hidden token against his inner thigh. Red and gold hair sprouted from the top of his head, hanging in waves to form a perfect A-line cut with the tips ending at his chin. Soft, rounded cheeks gave his adult face the boyish quality that it had when he was brought before me at the tender age of eighteen. Deep, ocean blue eyes with thick full lashes, almond shaped in their wonder. A long, delicate throat that expanded into small shoulders and arms. For his size, Drake's chest was broad, inching inward at his waist before his hips expanded out again, giving the allure of a feminine hour-glass shape. Toned legs, hairless and soft with small feet and equally small—yet adorable—toes.

Drake's hands were at his sides, his fingers long, tips calloused from his art and crafting. His nailed were clipped short, clean and rough from the lack of being manicured. As I stared upon my lover's body I took notice of the things that I'd not before. The puckered scars in his shoulder and thigh, the slight protrusion of his rib cage and hip bones, the knobbiness that his knees had adopted, the bones of his wrists and shoulders slightly more prominent.

To anyone else, these things would have gone without a second look. But I'd spent minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, _years_ mapping and memorizing every inch of Drake's lithe body. The way his muscles grew taut with strain, the way his body moved, how soft and pliant his flesh was beneath my fingers. His body was different now. Unfamiliar in tender familiarity. It had changed, Drake had changed, in our year-long separation. Yet, even in these gentle differences, there was something that reminded me of the boy who'd been brought to my stairs. The tender, young, naïve and innocent boy.

"Adam?" I blinked once, looking back up into Drake's eyes. "You're staring at me… Much like you used to when I was just your slave…" I smiled.

"Just re-committing to memory what you look like."

"You know what I look like, Adam." I reached out, taking his hands to draw him to me.

"I was remembering this," I said, caressing the very tips of my fingers from Drake's hips up along his sides, over his arms and up his neck before touching his cheeks, cupping them gently in my palms. Drake's eyes fluttered shut as I leaned in, pressing a warm and loving kiss to his lips. Drake moaned, his hands coming up around my waist, his arms holding tightly to me as I deepened the kiss, licking along his bottom lip. I pushed in slowly, tasting Drake as his hands slid up into my hair, pulling.

A flash skittered across my memory, shocking me, but I broke the kiss calmly. I didn't want to hurt or upset Drake, but the tremors that shot down my spine from his hand in my hair left me feeling rattled.

Drake opened his eyes and looked up at me, blue irises swirling with pleasure as his pupils threatened to swallow the color whole. His lips were reddened, lightly swollen, glistening in where my tongue had traveled. Drake smiled slowly. "I love you."

"I love you. Go on and finish preparing the bath while I undress," I said, kissing him again, but Drake held fast to me.

"May I?"

"May you what, love?"

Drake brought a hand to my chest, gentle fingers toying with the hem of the robe I'd slept in. I felt my heart stutter as he pulled it back, tugging the hem until it touched my shoulder before easing the fabric away. I shivered, watching the rise and fall of his breath as his hand slid across my shoulder, his warm fingers touching the bones that were far more prominent than his own. His eyes never left my face, even has his other hand came up to strip me of my robe, the fabric falling around my waist before sliding to the floor.

I felt exposed in all of the wrong ways. My shoulders and knees were knobbed and awkward. My ribs jutted out, my hips were too bony, my arms and legs were thin, my face sunken in. I felt like a walking corpse and when I turned my head to look away from Drake's face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Everything I'd felt, everything I'd believed and saw in myself was true. I looked… I looked like a monster.

"Adam," Drake called to me but I couldn't tear my gaze from my reflection. Hideous. Broken. Old. Used. Disgusting. His hand touched my cheek. "Adam."

I looked back to him, staring sadly into his eyes. "I know what you're thinking. And it's not true. None of it is true. You're beautiful, love. You're so, so beautiful…"

"How can you say that—" I began, but his fingers touched to my lips.

"I say it because it's _true_. You are beautiful, my love. This is nothing that proper nutrition and love cannot fix, and you know that. You gave me that treatment years ago when Bradley hurt me. Let me give it to you now." I bit my lip, nodding slowly as tears threatened to pool. Drake leaned up and kissed me gently before helping me into the massive tub.

The waters were warm, smelling of lilies and vanilla. They felt as I imagined, silky to the touch, reminiscent of warm oils. Drake sat beside me, scooping handfuls of water to pour them over my skin, rubbing the salts and lily petals against my flesh, moisturizing it with a creamy oil-based soap that smelled strongly of vanilla. I moaned quietly, closing my eyes, leaning into his touch as he cleaned and massaged my skin. He started at my shoulders and neck, working his way down my arms and across my back. I tensed every time his fingers swept over scarred flesh and tattoos. But he pressed on, massaging out the knots before turning me around to wash and moisturize my chest.

After a while, Drake slid his hands under the surface, gently taking hold of my right leg. He brought it up, hooking it over the edge of the tub before taking the salts, petals and soap again, rubbing his hands together before washing the mixture into my skin. It was an old tradition that was found amongst common folk in Egypt. Those who were poorer and couldn't afford the moisturizing soaps used bath salts—if they couldn't afford salts, they used large grains of sand—flower petals and oil or cheap soap. It opened the pores, cleansing deep as well as removing the upper, dead layer of skin and grime. And while the palace was filled with such exquisite soaps, I remembered Drake had often preferred resorting to his familiar methods.

Drake washed along and under my thigh, my knee, down to my calf and shin before scrubbing my foot and ankle before making me switch legs. I was quiet as he cleaned me, watching his elegant hands as they treated me with care. I smiled softly as his hands cleaned my hips and inner thighs, his fingers tickling the more sensitive spots. After he'd washed my skin and rinsed away the soaps and salts, he gently poured water over my head to wet my hair. I watched him gather soap into his palms, rubbing them together again before his fingers made gentle work of pushing through my hair.

"What happened to your hair, if you don't mind me asking?" I repressed the memories and swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

"Derek… He cut it off with scissors." Drake didn't say anything for a moment, he merely continued to scrub my hair.

"It's not a bad length, you know. I know you don't like it, but with a bit of styling, making it one even length, and a nice rich color, you'll look good as new." I didn't move or speak. It was hard enough letting him have a hold of me like this, but I could do nothing else. I didn't want to scare or hurt him by withdrawing. I wanted to make him happy. I wanted to show him that I was okay.

"Will you let me, love?" He asked, and I hummed softly. Drake poured water over my hair again, rinsing the soap away before lathering his palms in oils, stroking my cropped silvery locks with it. More vanilla wafted into my senses and I let my eyes close a little as Drake let the oil sit, his fingers rubbing salted-soap into my face.

He rinsed my hair and face before draining the tub, helping me out before handing me a warm and plush cotton towel to dry off. I rubbed my face and hair, feeling refreshed and clean of grime and pain. Drake handed me a white cotton robe before helping me sit down on a stool that was positioned in front of the massive mirror. In the reflection, I watched him as he stared at my hair, his fingers playing with the different lengths before finding the shorter ones, comparing them.

"What if we layered your hair? Would you like that?" I shrugged, none too excited about watching my love wield the very object that had begun the process of severing my soul. "We'll just give it a little trim, love. Nothing drastic, just some styling and shaping."

Drake reached into a drawer and pulled out a small pair of silver scissors. I stared hard at them, watching them gleam in the light before I squeezed my eyes shut. Images of Derek and his awful smirk filtered into my mind as the soft _schink_ of metal sounded in my ears. I whimpered quietly, fisting the robe sleeves in my hands before Drake's soft lips pressed to my cheek.

"It's alright, love, it's alright," I opened my eyes, slowly looking up. Drake's eyes met mine briefly as he smiled before looking back down at my hair. I couldn't see the scissors in the mirror but I could hear them, I could feel them cutting through what little hair I had left and it took everything in me not to pull away from Drake. My heart thudded in my chest and I had to remember that he was doing this to help me, that he was doing this to make me feel better about myself and about my appearance. That this wasn't meant to degrade me or humiliate me in any fashion. I had to remember that.

Drake spent maybe five minutes trimming my hair, occasionally running his fingers through it to shake out the loose strands. When he put the scissors away, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My lungs ached and my throat felt tight as he retrieved a small box, smiling at me.

"It's your shade. Midnight black. Would you like me to do your eyebrows, too?" I nodded slowly, feeling a little better as Drake applied the dye to my hair. He soaked and massaged each lock, every part of my hair before dabbing it into my eyebrows. All the while, he was humming a quiet little tune. It was one that sounded familiar, yet I couldn't place the name to it to save my life. Still, I found myself humming along, rusted and weak from lack of use, but somehow I managed to find the notes, to find the harmony to his melody.

Drake continued to hum until his voice opened up and he began to sing soft and sweet. " _I can't wait to see your face, and I can't wait to hold your hand. When you get here it's off to the races, and we'll tackle all of life's demands. But until I do, yes, until I do, I'll be right here singing for you_ …"

I smiled while Drake let the dye sit and I smiled while he rinsed out my hair and my eyebrows, toweling them dry before running his fingers through my freshly washed and colored hair. Drake's fingers caressed my cheek and he whispered gently to me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a man I did not know, a man I thought I would never know after everything that had happened. I stared upon myself, upon a me that looked merely tired, and not war-traumatized.

Drake's face came in beside mine and he rested his chin on my shoulder before kissing my cheek. "Welcome home, love."


	165. Chapter 165

**Chapter Forty-Eight: Look Beyond the Lies You've Known** **  
** **Tommy's POV**

Adam disappeared with Drake the moment he got the chance to get away from us. Watching him walk away after not seeing him for a year was disappointing, but I understood why he would feel swarmed and overwhelmed. He had been locked away for so long and it wasn't unreasonable for all of us to give him and Drake some space. Adam would come back to the rest of us soon enough. He would realize that he was loved here, that there was nothing to fear and slowly he would begin to relax.

Hiei and Cassidy didn't stick around for very long. Once Hiei saw Adam and Drake were all right, he practically threw himself into Cassidy's arms and let's just say that the kiss they shared was not exactly appropriate for all audiences. Thankfully, they moved to their bedroom rather quickly to spend the night fucking like bunnies. Okay, there was a lot more love and passion between them, but I was sure that they weren't, exactly, going to be getting any rest.

To be honest, that was exactly what I was planning on doing with Alex; but when I finally got my arms around him, pulling him into the tightest hug I could muster, he didn't seem as enthusiastic as I was. His arms wound around my waist and he held me tightly to him, but he didn't pull me into a hard, needy kiss like Cassidy had done with Hiei. At first I attributed it to being tired. Cassidy told me in one of his updates that Alex took a bullet for Drake. When I first found out about this, my heart stopped. Not only had the former love of my life and current best friend come close to death but so did my lover. But Cassidy assured and reassured me that Alex was fine, that he just needed rest and since they spent so long in that hospital in Persia, I figured he would be better by now.

I was confident that I would be able to get him into the mood once we were in our bedroom, alone and locked away from the rest of the world, but he still wasn't really feeling it. Eventually I was able to tease him into an aching erection and I rode him slow, kissing him passionately the entire time. To say it was the best we'd ever had would definitely be a lie. Even though we were both physically in need, the normal love and emotion intimacy we shared while love making just wasn't there.

When he finally came, just moments after I spilled over his stomach, a sad look filled his eyes. It was a sort of agonizing gaze I'd never seen in his beautiful eyes before, but I had seen a similar look several times in Drake's matching eyes. In fact, that look had been very frequent in my best friend's eyes over the course of the last year, with his other half locked away and possibly dying with no way of reaching him. I didn't understand why my lover would have the same look now. Adam was home and even though he was still in shock, he was safe and he would begin the healing process very soon. In fact, if I knew Drake, he was already starting to recover with the help of his young husband.

What would be decided about the throne, I wasn't entirely sure. Drake was only supposed to be Pharaoh in Adam's absence, but I think it was easy for everyone to agree that Adam wasn't ready to reclaim his place as King. However we could all agree that that was a matter to be dealt with later.

Even as I kissed my lover, whispering into his lips how much I loved him once I had pulled off of him and curled up into his side, that sad, pitiful look remained in his eyes. He smiled, whispering that he loved me as well and he was trying to force himself to be happy. We had been together for so long, that it was just too easy to tell when he was faking and when he was being genuine.

"Okay, Alex… What is going on with you?" I finally asked. He had been trying so hard to seem happy; I didn't want to bring up what I was noticing. Usually, even when Alex was upset, a nice round of lovemaking cheered him right up, but now he seemed even more upset then before and I just couldn't continue to ignore it. This man was my lover, the man who gave me hope after I lost my original love to Adam. How could I be expected to just ignore my baby's suffering? At first I assumed that Alex didn't want me to notice his depression, and he probably still didn't since he was trying to be happy, but I couldn't ignore it anymore. That wasn't my style.

"I don't know what you mean, baby? I'm fine, I'm just… still trying to recover from the gunshot, is all," he lied. It was so obviously a lie.

"Alex, that isn't true. I'm sure you're still recovering from the trip and the shot and everything, but you don't just look tired, you look sad," I told him. Beating around the bush would get us nowhere. We could do that all night and find absolutely no solution to the problem that was making itself apparent . "Just tell me what's wrong, please? You've got this look in your eyes that Drake's been wearing for the past year and I just don't… I don't understand why you would be depressed. Adam's home, he's safe with Drake and you all came back from Persia relatively unharmed. Cassidy's back with Hiei and you're back with me, so I just… I don't get it. What is there to be upset about? I'm not trying to sound like an asshole or anything and I definitely don't want to sound heartless, but please, just explain to me what is happening."

Maybe it was my imagination but I could have sworn that when I said Drake's name, his pupils grew wider and, if possible, the sadness that troubled his soul was even more visible. It was such a cliché saying, but it was true: the eyes were windows to the soul.

Trying to keep eye contact with Alex was almost impossible. It would only take a second for him to divert his eyes from mine and he finally brought his hands up to my cheeks, cupping my face gingerly. "Tommy, sweet heart, you know that I love you, right? That I love you so much?" he asked and I really had to keep my mind from thinking that I was about to get the "It's Not You, It's Me" speech from the man I had been with since before Drake and Adam's first wedding anniversary. He couldn't really be planning to give me such horrible news after being together for so long, could he?

"Of course I know that, baby…" I whispered, trying not to sound like I was panicking. My heart seemed to lodge itself into my throat and I found myself wondering how I was even able to breathe. "I… I never question that, ever," I continued when I was greeted with nothing but my older lover stroking my cheeks slowly with his thumbs. "Should I question it?" I finally breathed out, trying to grope for some sort of reassurance. Alexander was not about to rip my heart out, not after all the years we spent mending each other's hearts.

"As long as you know that, darling," he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead. For a moment I felt more like a child with his older brother or mother, not his lover. "As long as you know that, everything is fine and you don't need to worry about me being upset."

"Alex, no, that's not okay. You can't just write me off like I'm some sort of child. I'm not going to be able to ignore this when every time I look at you, even when you should be happy, you look miserable. Is it something I've done? You've looked so upset since you got home… Are you angry with me? Did I do something wrong?" I asked, looking into his eyes. He tried to look away again but this time I brought my hands up, holding each side of his face so he had to look at me. "If I did something, please just tell me. I didn't mean to upset you and, if I did, I'm sorry for whatever it is."

A soft sigh fell from his lips; as if he had really expected me to buy his "as long as you know I love you" crap. What kind of avoidance technique was that? "You didn't do anything wrong, Tommy, I'm not mad at you or upset with you or anything like that, trust me."

"Then what's this all about? I know you've been trying to act happy all night. You were even trying to act like you wanted to have sex as much as I did, but I know you were pretending through most of that as well. I thought you would get happy once we were alone and intimate. That always makes you happy but now you just look even more upset then when you first got home, I can see it all over your face," I told him, staring at his depressing eyes. Usually his and Drake's eyes were bright and vibrant, bluer than the ocean, but right now Alex's eyes were a very dull blue, almost gray color, like the life had been sucked right out of them.

"Baby please, let's not do this tonight, all right? I just got home and we're together again. I'm just… in a funk, that's all. I'm sure by breakfast I'll be okay. I guess I'm just trying to adjust from the trip and the flight and everything that's happened so quickly," he told me. It sounded legitimate but it also sounded like very cleverly disguised bullshit to someone who knew him as well as I did. There was definitely a difference between being sucked into depression and being "in a funk". Over the years, we had all fallen into those inevitable funks and this was definitely not how Alex acted while he was in that sort of state.

I suppose the look on my face told Alex that I wasn't buying it. He sighed deeply and sat up, leaning against the headboard. Unlike Drake and Adam's chamber, our room was more of a classic style. The walls were covered in paintings and murals done by Drake, most of the palace was, but the room was long and rectangular with the bed butted up against one wall, a tall headboard extending up above the mattress and pillows. The room was divided into two main sections, the bed and sleeping area and a seating and study area. We had a small bathroom, nice but nothing like the Pharaohs' chamber and a small balcony that overlooked the marketplace.

Taking my lover's lead, I sat up as well, deciding to sit Indian style so I could look at him without having to strain my neck. "I was hoping that by the time I came home, I wouldn't be in this miserable anymore. I really was trying to just get over why I feel so… worthless because I didn't want to upset you and because I didn't want to admit to you _why_ I'm feeling like this. If I tell you the truth, you're going to hate me and after the last few weeks and even the last year, I really cannot handle you turning away from me. I love you and I need you… I cannot lose you and if I tell you this, I will for sure."

For the second time, my heart was lodged into my throat. Truly I feared what Alex was keeping from me after his horrid explanation of how I would feel if he were truthful, but I would never be able to just not know, to pretend like there was absolutely nothing wrong. If Alex was this terrified to tell me, this sure that he would lose me over whatever it was, then the issue was not something I could ignore.

"Alex…" I whispered, reaching forward to take his hands in my own. Compared to my calloused hands, his were warm and soft although starting to dry out from the lack of skin care on his trip to Persia. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, okay? We are lovers, we promised to always be honest with one another and I love you so very much… You can tell me whatever it is that you need to tell me. You can be honest with me, I promise, whatever it is, I'm not going to leave you." It wasn't a promise I felt entirely comfortable making, but whatever Alex needed to tell me, I wasn't going to let it upset me to the point of leaving him. He was my life and my happiness.

"Don't promise that. You have no idea what I'm even going to say yet…" he whispered, his eyes transfixed on our interlocking hands. I assumed he was just using that as something to distract him from looking me in the eye, but even from the angle, I could tell that there were tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Just tell me. I'll be less upset if you're just honest instead of hiding things from me and lying to me…"

The grip on my hands tightened for a moment, almost painfully so. "You're right…" he whispered, closing his eyes for the longest time. "But what I'm about to tell you, please just… remember as I'm telling you that I love you and the last thing I want to do is hurt you. I need you to remember that, Tommy, I really do, but it's not going to make hearing this any easier…"

"Just tell me." I was starting to grow tired of this. Worry was knotting itself into my stomach and I felt like I was going to die of the metaphorical pain before I even heard what horrible thing Alex wanted to keep from me.

"Okay… Okay, here it is. I'm depressed because I feel like Adam's ripped my heart out," he started and I couldn't even begin to form my questions because once he started talking, he didn't seem like he was going to stop. Maybe if he didn't get it all out at once, he wouldn't be able to spill it all. "Over the past year, while Drake took over Adam's position as Pharaoh, I've been shooting down every single one of his ideas. I've been a horrible advisor to him, and not because I genuinely disagreed with him but because I subconsciously wanted him to be wrong. I wanted him to make a fool of himself, to prove that Adam putting him in charge was a bad idea. I thought I could do better than Drake and that Adam shouldn't have trusted his entire kingdom to Drake. I started to grow jealous of him, resentful even. Eventually I started to think that he was nothing more than an immature kid and everything he did, as Pharaoh or just as Drake, started to irritate me."

"So… I'm having a hard time understanding this. You were jealous of Drake's position because you felt you deserved it more?" I asked. In a way, it was understandable. Alex had been Adam's advisor for years. He definitely knew more about politics than Drake did and he was older than Drake, but Drake was a natural no matter what he said… If something happened to Adam, it was only right that his throne should be given to his young husband. However I had a horrible feeling that Alex was still not telling me everything. Why would Adam giving the crown to Drake break his heart?

"Sort of," he whispered as a few tears rolled down his cheek. He wasn't sobbing by any means. The tears didn't even affect his speech or breathing but they were very obvious against his tanned skin. "Seeing how much Adam truly trusted Drake, how much he was willing to give him, made me realize that I never truly got over leaving him. Adam and I were so… so in love before you and Drake came along. I thought I was going to be with him forever and seeing him with Drake always hurt a little bit, but when Drake became Pharaoh? When Drake inherited the thing that Adam cherished most, gave him the great responsibility and honor of ruling the kingdom, I started to hate him. My feelings for Adam started to bubble back up to the surface and in trying to make Drake look bad, I suppose I was trying to show that I was still right for Adam and he was just some stupid kid…"

Now I finally started to understand why Alex didn't want to tell me this. He wanted me to remember that he loved me and that I made him so happy but he was telling me that he was still completely in love with a lover who hadn't been his for over fifteen years? That he was still secretly dreaming of being with Drake's husband when he should have been focusing on our relationship? How was I supposed to feel the love here, exactly? He wanted to make Drake look like a failure just to prove that he was better for Ra's sake!

"It sounds horrible, I know… Drake's such a great person, such an amazing leader and it's so obvious that he and Adam belong together but I just… I can't help it. It's completely irrational and I hate that I feel this way, but I do. Sometimes I can't help but feel that Drake stole him from me. I know that isn't true, that I left and Drake didn't come along for a long while after I was gone, but it wasn't my fault that Brad did what he did. When I thought you and Adam were in love, I decided not to come back, but then Drake came along… For the longest time I thought Adam was just replacing me with a younger version, a copycat, but in reality, I'm like the pathetic copy. Drake is so much better at everything, he's so amazing, he turns everyone's head, he's so creative and inspiring and I'm just… I'm just an old man with nothing to offer and nothing but jealousy in my heart," he mumbled, more tears rolling. His voice was slowly beginning to shake with sobs that I knew were coming, but I was finding it hard to be sympathetic for him. "Adam told me in the Persian hospital that our relationship was over and had been for a long time. That he belonged to Drake and he wouldn't change anything for my sake and when he said all those things I just felt like he ripped my heart out and threw it onto the floor in front of me."

Slowly I pulled my hands from his. I knew I promised whatever Alex was going to tell me wouldn't cause me to leave him, but how exactly was I supposed to take this? My lover, the man I had spent the better part of seven years with, was confessing that he was not only in love with another man but he was also growing to hate my best friend? The man that was also supposed to be his best friend?

"Tommy…" His voice cracked then and the sobs finally came but now I had my own inner turmoil to deal with. "Please, T-Tommy!" He reached for me again, but I pulled away from him and climbed off the bed, quickly grabbing a robe to wrap myself in. I wasn't necessarily deciding to leave him but I definitely need some time away from him, time to process all of this, calm down and think rationally. Space… That's what I needed, because I felt like I was suddenly suffocating.

"I just—I need time to think right now, okay? I can't deal with this all at once and I just need some air," I mumbled, pulling a silk robe over my shoulders, pulling it closed to keep my naked body hidden.

"What h-happened to you saying you wouldn't l-leave me for what I was going to t-t-tell you?!" he wailed, his face covered in tears now. "You promised!"

"I'm not leaving you, I just… I can't be in here right now." I didn't think it was irrational to say that I needed space away from Alex after hearing something like that. It was sad really, since we were just reunited a few hours ago but if I stayed in this room, I was either going to break down, feeling sorry for myself or I was going to grow excessively angry with Alex. Neither of these sounded like good options and I just needed to be alone instead.

"Tommy, p-please!" Seeing my lover like this was truly sad. He looked so defeated and miserable, like he truly felt that he was a worthless piece of sod. If I wasn't so upset myself, I would have comforted him but I knew that wouldn't happen, not right now.

"I… I love you. That's all I can say right now, that even though you just said all those horrible things to me, that you're in love with someone else and you hate my best friend… I won't stop loving you," I told him, pulling my robe tight around me. He was trying to mumble something through his heart wrenching sobs, but I turned on my heels and bolted out the door before my own tears could make themselves known. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon and usually sunrises made me so happy but I hadn't been this miserable in years. Honestly I wasn't even sure that Drake choosing Adam over me hurt this much because at least I had seen that coming.

This completely blind-sided me. My reunion with Alex was supposed to be a happy occasion, like it was for Hiei and Cassidy and even though I felt so horrible right at this moment, I had to wonder if Adam and Drake's reunion was just as hard, if not harder.

Maybe I was better off as a pleasure servant.


	166. Chapter 166

**Chapter Forty-Nine: But Now The Time's Come For Your Feet To Stand Still In One Place**

 **Sauli's POV**

The Pharaoh had come home. At long last the war was over. The Persian king had been stripped of his throne and the crisis was averted. There had been such a rabble of happiness and tears and reunions that there was barely a moment to catch the Pharaohs for a welcoming. I had never before been such witness to so many swirling emotions at once. It was, indeed, overwhelming, but there was something so powerful in this moment. So pure and so… full of family and love.

I had never before seen such. Living as a pleasure slave in Persia taught me nothing of family or comfort. Well, being a pleasure slave might have taught me something of warmth, but it taught nothing of compassion or companionship. Persia was nothing but a dark, burnt stain in the patchwork of my life. A massive one at that, but, I hoped, would soon be forgotten. It would serve me nothing to dwell upon a pain I was rid of when I could heal here.

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I stood back, away from everyone as the Pharaohs' family swarmed around one another, flanked by friends and servants with tears in their eyes. The light of the moon washed in from the arches at the palace steps and the faint lighting in the walls all served for warm familiarity, bathing good Egyptians in a glow. I smiled, watching as lovers were joined together in embraces before Pharaoh Drake took Pharaoh Adam gently by the arm, sweeping him away.

It was easy, then, to observe once the crowd began to dissipate. Mama Roza was in the embrace of, if I wasn't mistaken, the enslaved messenger from Persia. Cassidy and Hiei were locked in a passionate kiss before the advisor lifted his lover and carried him away, no doubt for such intimacies far more delicate and in need of privacy. Alexander and Tommy disappeared soon after, no doubt for their own passions. And, soon, all those of the throne room had gone, except for me. Well… And Eric.

I lifted my gaze to catch the young royal's, but he held it only a moment. Only a moment before he turned to leave with all the rest. I felt my heart skip and I pushed off from the marble pillar upon which I had been leaning. Eric slipped through the doors of the throne room that led out to the gardens, disappearing into the night with statues and rosebushes. I followed, unwilling to let him slip away as he had done last. It had been months since our last encounter where I'd kissed him with all my heart. Since then, he'd avoided me.

Perhaps… it was expected. After the incident, I'd approached Mama Roza to ask her advice. I had no one else to turn to, and since Gods could not answer my questions, I'd thought she might. She explained to me that Eric had lived under the fist of his father and had been taught, no, branded with the knowledge that he should and would love a woman. Not a man. And not an ex-pleasure slave at that. She told me, though, not to give up on Eric.

I pushed through the doors out to the garden, watching Eric's shaggy dark hair disappear towards the back of the gardens, towards the massive fountain. I'd been told that it was the fountain the Pharaohs had been married at. I could just picture every aspect: the sun shining in post-afternoon glow, flowers blooming, gems sparkling, the young Pharaoh, Drake, dazzling. Pharaoh Adam smiling… That was a sight I still had yet to truly see. Pharaoh Adam's smile. I'd heard it was radiant, especially when he looked upon his husband.

Sighing softly, I stepped down into the lush grasses, following Eric. I was tired of him running away from me. I wanted to talk. To apologize with being so forward in my feelings for him. I hadn't wanted to scare him or cause him to hate me. I wanted him to know that I was there for him, that I could help him, give him someone to hold onto when he felt alone. And my foolish heart… How I had let it slip from its cage so freely, I'll never know. I'd locked it safely away after Derek and Persia. Yet, somehow, Eric freed it for me…

Biting my lip, I slowed my pace. If Eric wanted to be found, he would be. Everything in my heart screamed to go to him, to make him understand. But how could I make someone so unwilling understand that I have no foul intentions despite the actions which I forcefully thrust upon him. I couldn't… Not even if I tried. I wanted to. Desperately. Eric was the first person who'd ever made me feel human. Pharaoh Drake saved me, yes. He freed me from a life of torment and pain. But Eric saved something inside of me…

My feet carried me to a smaller fountain with a sculpture of a young boy who looked very much like Pharaoh Adam. Frowning, I dropped my gaze to an engraving in the stone work. Written there was the name "Neil". Could he have been a relative of Pharaoh Adam's? A cousin or a brother? Perhaps. Slowly, I sat down on the curved ring, letting my fingers drag through the glassy waters. They were black from the reflection of night, the waning moon like a bright beacon in its surface. I glanced up at the sky. Though the stars were glimmering and the moon bright, there was a pink glow in the far east. Dawn was approaching.

I dropped my gaze back to the still fountain. The statue was cold and stoic, the jets silent. The waters were cool to the touch. The gardens were hushed, still in the everlasting night as they dispersed to dawn. Such comings like this before, I would have been asleep. But I could find no rest now. Not with the Pharaohs' return and the rejoicing that had occurred. There would, no doubt, be some celebrations to take place once all of Egypt had been notified of the miracle. Oh, yes, there would be celebrations for days…

I swirled patterns in the waters, my mind quickly drifting back to Eric. Had I wronged him so to the point that he would continue to run, even though it'd been months? I sighed, letting my eyes slip shut as I scooped some of the water into my palm, letting the beads trickle between my fingers to splash back into the pool. The glassy top rippled, shattering the perfection of the moon before stilling, righting everything in the world again.

"S-Sauli?" I lifted my gaze to see a short, lanky blond dressed in a flowing robe pulled tight around his shivering frame. I frowned deeply as Tommy neared me, evidence of tears on his cheeks and in his eyes. He was grieving.

"Thomas," I said, standing. He pulled his robe tighter and I took a gentle hold of his elbow, bringing him to me. "Tommy… why are you crying?" I murmured, reaching up to brush his tears away.

"I did not know you were out here. Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I sighed and smiled faintly, easing him down to sit on the fountain's edge.

"I hardly believe anyone is sleeping tonight. Should you not be with Alexander? You seemed so overjoyed to see him when everyone arrived a few hours ago?" Tommy choked softly, rubbing his face with the corner of the sleeve. He sniffled softly.

"Alexander… Gods, Sauli, I was a fool to think…" I shook my head.

"I don't understand. How are you a fool?"

"It's complicated."

"We've got time." Tommy glanced at me, sighing heavily as he drew his robe tighter again.

"Years ago, long before Drake and I came into Adam's life, Alexander was a pleasure servant for Our Good Pharaoh. Well, over a course of events, Alexander was taken from Adam and had been void from his life for many years before returning. In that time of his absence, I had come to Adam as a servant, and Drake after me. Drake later became Adam's lover and husband, as you know. And when Alexander returned, he and I fell in love. And we've been so for so many years now… But his heart still yearns for what he had for Adam. He still desires to be by Adam's side…" I let out a soft breath, touching Tommy's cheek for a moment before drawing him closer to me.

"He pines after what is not his and yet has the audacity to say he loves me and doesn't want to hurt me… He.. he wants Adam and expects me to stay by his side… I am a fool to think that I could be loved when I am nothing more than a pleasure servant and friend. I am not royalty. I am nothing more than property to the Pharaohs. I am a bed warmer…"

"Tommy… Do not speak such rubbish. You are more than that and you know it," Tommy's hard brown eyes found mine. He did not believe me. "Tommy… I understand. I do. Perhaps better than anyone else. If you allow yourself to believe that you are nothing, then that is what you will become. I am sure if Pharaoh Drake or Adam heard you say these things, they'd—"

"They'd what, Sauli? Prove me wrong? Kiss me and tell me through love-making how wonderful I am? That's all I am for them, Sauli. A lover and a confidant. But there is no love for me. No one to call mine. Drake is Adam's and Alexander… Alexander pines after an Adam that no longer exists. And I? I am the wallflower in the great mural of this life. I am the pretty face that no one remembers because there is always someone else."

"That's not true…" I whispered. My heart ached for Tommy. I knew his pain. I knew his suffering. And yet my words were failing to help him.

"Not true… I find that hard to believe. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but you've wasted breath, Sauli. But at least you've done that…" Tommy mumbled before beginning to stand. I pressed a hand to his clothed leg, stilling him. His eyes found mine again.

"Perhaps you want the love you see around you. You feel lost, lonely, even out of place without it. Everyone else has it. The Gods have a plan, Tommy. A plan for everyone. That plan will bestow you with a kind of love you may never understand, but it will come to you, even in the strangest of places. Unexpected places. Perhaps… perhaps it's time you lived and loved for yourself and not for another."

"What do you mean?"

"If it's destined for your love with Alexander to survive, it will. If not, let it be. Let it become a stitch in your life that you cherished, that you will grow from. You will find love, Tommy. Never give up on that simply because you've run into some snags." Tommy smiled softly, nodding slowly. "Besides… I do believe I've seen Pharaoh Drake's sister eye you now and then…"

Tommy's cheeks flushed. "I've only ever bedded and loved men. How do I even approach a woman?" I chuckled.

"You walk up to her and say 'good day to you, miss'," I kissed his cheek. "You'd best return to bed, Tommy. All these tears and this morning chill will give you a cold in no time."

"Mm, yes. I would do best to avoid that. You weren't around the last time I fell ill. Drake loves to go all Mother Hen on me." I laughed.

"I'm sure he'd go Mother Hen on anyone, not just you." Tommy nodded slowly, thanking me briefly before standing. He disappeared through the hedges that led back to the palace stairs as I sighed.

"You know," I jumped, turning to see Eric. "I wasn't entirely sure why I was running before. Probably because I was confused and afraid. I had so many questions before, but… After seeing you with Tommy like that, I feel as if I need no answers."

I smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

"I am sorry for my behavior… I was just…" I shook my head.

"You need not apologize to me, Eric. I understand." Eric smiled at me, coming closer.

"I'm sure.. Listen, Sauli.. about what happened… I don't want to run. It may be strange, but I know what my heart feels. I know what it's trying to tell me. And I think it's time I listened to it."

"And what is it saying?" I inquired, shivering as Eric's hand cupped my cheek.

"That I'm falling desperately for you," he said, pressing a kiss to my lips.


	167. Chapter 167

**Chapter Fifty: I Know it Gets Hard Sometimes** **  
** **Drake's POV**

Five days didn't really seem that long when you were looking at the scheme of life, the blocks on a calendar or even the insignificant size of the tiny number in general. Five days wasn't even a weeklong! Five sunrises and five sunsets was nothing compared to the thousands upon thousands that one person would see throughout their lives.

However the past five days felt like an eternity to me.

That's how long we all had been back from Persia for. Adam was having a hard time adjusting to life in the palace after a year of being locked up in a filthy dungeons with even more retched guards. I was doing everything that I could think of to make Adam more comfortable and to help his transition from filthy prisoner to beloved king returned to his beautiful country.

Honestly, I felt that I could do better, that I wasn't doing enough to help him and I should be doing so much more, but I couldn't think of anything else. I gave him a makeover to bring him back to the gorgeous state he had been in before he was taken (aside from how skinny he was, regaining the weight would just take time). I agreed to keep my position as acting Pharaoh while Adam was trying to recover and adjust, which wasn't exactly something I was thrilled about, mind you. Everyone kept telling me what an amazing Pharaoh I made, that I saved Adam, Egypt and Persia and I deserved to be Pharaoh, but all I could see was a small kid who happened to get really, really lucky. Alexander might have opposed me for selfish reasons but that didn't mean that he was entirely wrong and I truly hated to think that.

On top of that, I spent every second I could with Adam. He didn't seem to like being left alone, but he was having a hard time being around too many people as well. I was trying to help him adjust to being around his friends, slowly increasing the amount of people that we would have dinner with until he could be comfortable with all of our friends and family. Adam was completely all right with taking walks through the palace with me and we would talk like we used to, but he would never speak about Persia. We would cuddle and kiss whenever we were together, but we never went any further.

I didn't have a difficult time understanding why Adam wouldn't talk about Persia. When Bradley raped me all those years ago, I just felt so disgusting. I blamed myself and while he did threaten me not to talk, I didn't really want to talk about it anyway. Having Bradley touch me like I was a possession, a whore even, it made me feel like I wasn't good enough for Adam to have me. Hell, I didn't feel like anyone should have to be with me… So I understood Adam's desire to hide from not only me, but everyone and I understood how completely worthless he felt.

This is why I never pushed Adam to talk or step too far outside his comfort zone (if he didn't step out a little, he would never get better). I knew better than anyone that he needed time to heal, to realize that he was the Pharaoh of Egypt and not some worthless prisoner with nothing but a name. Sometimes I found myself still thinking that I wasn't good enough because of what Bradley had used me for but I did get better. I was the fucking Pharaoh of Egypt and what Bradley did to me couldn't change that.

Adam would realize this too, at some point, I just wasn't sure when. He did take more abuse than I did, but if there was anyone who could understand it, it was I. Hiei could probably relate as well, since his father sold him into sexually slavery and he was forced to run away just to protect himself. Forcing Adam to open up was not something I was going to do, but I did tell him over and over again that I was completely there for him and that nothing was more important to me than helping him get through this.

Whenever I couldn't be with Adam due to Pharaoh duties and public appearances, confirming that Adam was home and he was recovering nicely, Sebastian and my mother decided to baby Adam. Sad as it was, Sebastian was definitely more Adam's father than mine, no matter what biology had to say about it.

Today I spent all of my morning and most of my afternoon in a meeting discussing the future of Persia. Adam stayed with my parents because he just didn't seem to feel up to returning to Pharaoh duties and who could blame him? He just needed to rest and slowly phase back into a normal life. Alexander also was not with me because Adam had stripped him of his advisor role, so only Cassidy came with me. Truly the meeting was rather… pointless. We discussed merging Persia with Egypt and having them under one rule. We discussed potential leaders would could send to Egypt, but truly we didn't come to a conclusion, which meant we would have to have the same exact meeting in a few weeks to, once again, leave without a conclusion.

Once we were finally able to leave, I was starving. My stomach was literally growling, but I wanted to get back to my room, change out of my ridiculous Pharaoh clothes and go to Adam. Since his return, not only did he not like being alone, but also I hated to be away from him. I was hoping that we could have a nice lunch alone and maybe talk some more, but I barely got two halls from the room I had just spent my day in when I turned a corner and found my brother and Sauli, Sauli pressed up against the wall with Eric's tongue down his throat.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was amazing that my brother was fiiiiiinalllly with someone and that he wasn't afraid of his sexuality, but Sauli was a pleasure servant… However I did keep Sauli instead of sending him back to Persia so he could have a better life here. I never planned on using him for pleasure and my brother could definitely give him a good life, I was just a little worried that maybe Eric wouldn't be… satisfactory?

For a moment, I just awkwardly stood there and when I finally tried to make my way around them, Eric noticed me. A massive blush instantly spread across his cheeks, very similar to the way mine always did. "Oh, Drake, sorry… Didn't see you there," he said, trying not to pant although he clearly needed to since he hadn't come up for air in quite some time.

"No, it's fine, but maybe you two should… find somewhere a little more private if you're going to…?" I asked. Eric blushed even more and Sauli's cheeks were pink but I wasn't sure if that was because he needed breath or because he was embarrassed.

"Oh, we weren't going to do that… We were just taking a walk through the gardens and we came in to get some lunch and, well, we got carried away," Eric explained quickly, obviously trying to keep me from becoming all protective older brother on him, but he was an adult and old enough to make his own decisions. He just didn't need to be having sex inn plan sight of the entire palace.

"It's all right, just don't get too carried away," I advised and then smiled. "I'm also very happy for you both. You make a very adorable couple," I added and began walking again. If I didn't eat something soon, I thought my stomach might cave in on itself. This is definitely what I got for skipping breakfast.

"P-Pharaoh, wait…" Sauli whispered just as I started to leave and he reached out, taking hold of my hand lightly to stop me. "I'm sorry, I know you've been working all day and you're probably starving and want to get back to Pharaoh Adam but there's something I have to tell you." He waited for me to turn back to him before he continued.

"What is it, Sauli, and I believe I've told you to call me Drake," I told him, smiling calmly. I would never get used to anyone calling me "Pharaoh" no matter how gaudy and ridiculous my clothes were.

"It's… It's, Tommy, Pha—Drake. I ran into him in the gardens the morning after your return and he was in tears. He told me that Alexander still holds hope and love for Pharaoh Adam and that he felt that he was nothing more than a bed warmer," he told me and while his voice was soft, the way he spoke was firm and unwavering. He was determined to make sure that I knew this and the more I heard, the more furious I became. "I know that Tommy is so much more than just a pleasure servant and I also know that he is your best friend, that you love him, perhaps more than anyone else. I also know that you are very busy with your Pharaoh duties and taking care of your husband but please, please talk to Tommy. He needs someone besides me to tell him how special he is… Seeing him cry was so… Gods, it was horrible to see, just as horrible as watching you cry when I first came here…"

A mixture of emotions pulled at my heartstrings. I was furious with Alexander for hurting my best friend so horribly, I was upset because Tommy was hurting and that I wasn't there for him and I was sympathetic because Sauli was so sweet and passionate… "I'll talk to Tommy, Sauli, I promise," I said to him and he smiled beautifully at me.

"Thank you, My Pharaoh, thank you," he said, letting go of my hand now that I heard everything that he had to say. My original plan was to go to Adam immediately after my meeting but now I was going to find Tommy. Well, truthfully, I wanted to go find Alexander and rip his fucking balls off for not only what happened in Persia and still loving Adam, but for hurting my very best friend but Tommy needed me more that Alexander needed a good ass kicking.

It took about twenty minutes for me to find Tommy, but he was sitting on a shared balcony that anyone in the palace could go out on and overlook the Bazaar below. "Tommy?" I asked, leaning on the doorway leading to the balcony. I have not really had a one on one conversation with Tommy in quite some time and I felt guilty for it because he was my very best friend but between all of the Pharaoh things I had to do and planning to save Adam… It was all just one huge mess.

Tommy looked up from his guitar and he smiled a little. "Hey there stranger," he said, setting his guitar aside. "Why aren't you with Adam, Drake? I know he's having a hard time. He needs you."

"Yeah, he does, but so do you and, to be honest, Adam could use you too," I said, going over to him slowly. Instead of pulling up another chair, I sat down in his lap and he didn't seem to mind. We've bathed together, in fact, we still did that once in a while, and we've slept together, shared secrets and a bed… Sitting in his lap was no big deal.

"What do you mean?" he asked, putting his arms around me without a second thought.

"Sauli told me what happened with Alexander and, Gods, Tommy, I'm so sorry," I said to him, resting my head against his shoulder. He ran his fingers through my hair slowly and eventually started to braid my hair. "He also told me that you think you're only around for pleasure and that… That is just not true. You're my best friend, Tommy. Literally, my best friend and the man who saved my life when I tried to jump off that balcony. If you weren't here, I would be an emotional wreck all the time or I would be dead and when Sauli told me what happened, I felt so horrible…"

"I just felt like that because I was so upset with Alex for loving Adam. I felt like… Like everyone wanted Adam over me and I was just a second choice. I don't blame you for loving Adam but… I do kind of blame Alex. Why would he come back into Adam's life if he wanted to be a lover and he couldn't? If he doesn't love me, he shouldn't act like it and if he loves me but not as much as Adam then he should just leave…"

"I agree with you Tommy, but I do know one thing for sure, Alexander does love you. I'm not telling you to give him another chance because I'm just as angry with him as you are right now and I really just want to kick the living shit out of him but… He does love you. He just… Loves two people at one time, like I did when Bradley raped me," I told him. I was a little startled at myself for kind of standing up for Alexander but maybe I felt guilty because years ago I picked Adam over him and now Alexander might be doing the same thing to him.

"Meaning…?"

"I was in love with you and I was in love with Adam and choosing between you… Was the hardest thing I ever had to do. It was worse than all this Pharaoh shit and going to Persia. It was harder than actually dealing with Bradley raping me… And if Alexander is smart, he's going to get over his love for Adam and pick you. If he can't see that you are the best thing that has ever happened to him, then he's the biggest idiot in the world," I assured him, putting my arms around his neck while he finished the large braid, letting it hang over one shoulder. "Just give it some time and if he hurts you again, I'm gonna fuck him up."

Tommy snorted. "Can I watch if it comes to that?

"Absolutely," I said, kissing his cheek gently. "You know I love you, right? You don't doubt that, do you?"

"Of course not, baby… There were a few things I said to Sauli that I said out of depression, not because I thought they were true and I'm sorry if I offended you…"

"No, please don't apologize to me, I just want you to know that those things you said about yourself aren't true," I assured him.

"I know, baby, I know… Now, let's go check on Adam, hm?" he asked and I nodded softly.


	168. Chapter 168

**Chapter Fifty-One: I'm Lost Without You**

 **Alexander's POV**

"You…"

It startled air that had once been silent and tense, yet hopeful. It clutched the very nature of potential and ripped it apart with promised hatred. The voice was sharp, cold, wrapping itself around my throat and gut in a dual vice grip, squeezing me with a frosty grasp. Piercing and vengeful, I knew I need not turn around to know who, exactly, was directing such venom my way.

" _You_!"

The jagged edges of a single syllable seemed to carve themselves into the atmosphere, hanging there like an angry cut in the flesh of the invisible. There was no hesitation, no questioning. No, this was all-knowing, omnipotent in its wrath. This single word, the source of fury, knew the air of mystery. It knew of the wrongs I'd done not to one man, nor two, but three. The most recent. The most painful. It knew of the heart I'd ripped apart and, now, it had come for me.

Perhaps I'd been too bold, too brash to find Tommy so soon, to beg his forgiveness so quickly. It had only been a matter of days, really, since my confession; mere moments connecting our lives from the time he left our grief-stricken bed to when I'd cornered him on a stroll in the hall, grabbed him by his pale arm and nearly fell upon my knees in tears. Indeed, I was too bold to think that I could slip passed the wrath of a young king sworn to the blond's side as an eternal friend and companion. To think I could avoid Drake's sharp eye and silver tongue.

Since Tommy's disappearance from our room, I had been a wreck. An emotional catastrophe that couldn't hope to be resolved without the sure-hearted blond beside me. I had spoken such horrible things to him, things I would understand if he never forgave me for. But I had to make him understand me. I had to make him see that I loved him so, and that letting him go would be a worse mistaken than letting my feelings cloud my judgment for the last year.

Which was what brought me to his feet, eyes filled with tears and heart aching with sorrow. Sorrow that I had ever dared to hurt him as badly as I did. Sorrow that, for even a moment, I could let him suffer at my own selfish greed. I knew that I could not expect him to forgive me immediately, that I did not deserve it in the slightest, really. But, along with this, I knew… I knew if I lost the one thing that loved me better than I could have ever been, I would surely die. For when Tommy walked out that morning six days ago, my soul went with him, and I had been breathless, lifeless, and filled without belonging since.

"Get… your filthy hands… off of him!" The young king's voice raged n my ears, his hands prying my own from Tommy. He shoved at me, his blue eyes blazing as Tommy stood behind him. "How _dare_ you even think to _speak_ to him after what you've done!"

Drake… was furious. Rightfully so. I'd compromised him, attempted to sabotage his relationship and had wounded his best friend. I was rapidly approaching the mouth of the River Styx with every red mark in his eyes and unless I could find a way to fix it, I knew I was going to face the Gods prematurely…

"Drake, it's okay—" Tommy began to say. I felt a glimmer of hope in my heart, praying that, maybe, despite what I'd done, he was willing to defend me. Not that I deserved it, but, maybe…

"No, it's not okay and you know it, Tommy," Drake said, not even bothering to look back at the blond. He kept his eyes on me, watching, as if waiting for me to strike at the blond again. I wanted no more ill-will between us, no more secrets or pain. I just wanted things to be right, to be happy, as they once were. I wanted things to be the way they were, back when I wasn't plagued by old feelings and fears. Back when my world was Tommy and only Tommy.

"Please, let me explain—" I said, bringing my hands up in plea. Drake's cold eyes snapped to them before looking back to me again. He didn't trust me. How could he? I was a snake, a viper, swaying back and forth in a dance until he dared to turn his back. Well… perhaps that was how he perceived me. It wasn't hard to guess. "—all I want is to talk to Tommy. To apologize. To beg his forgiveness for what I've done."

"Beg for forgiveness? It's a little late for that now, don't you think, Alexander? You've crushed my best friend and you think you're just going to get an 'Oh, it's okay' and be able to waltz back into everything?! I don't think so! Not after everything in Persia and here, Alexander… You crossed so many boundaries that your presence here is far from unwanted, it is undeserved! I suggest you leave, now, and get your shit together before even _thinking_ of approaching Tommy again!" I sighed, dropping my hands.

"My Pharaoh, please… I did not wish to hurt Tommy. I love him—"

" _Love_ him?! How?! You trampled on him and made him feel utterly worthless!" Drake seethed, his eyes blazing. Tommy looked as if he were at a loss for words. My heart ached as I glanced between the two of them. "How dare you mock his heartache with your lies, Alexander! You openly admitted to still having feelings for my husband, that you attempted to ruin me and take my place on the throne! You even abandoned me in Persia during the duel against Emir to save Adam and make yourself the hero!"

Tommy's eyes widened then, and he stared in shock at me. I had been planning to tell him, to tell him everything that happened while we were gone. But I didn't have the chance. And with the way Drake was ranting and raging about everything, I feared I would never have the chance.

"You abandoned him…?" Tommy murmured just barely loud enough for me to hear. I choked softly, shaking my head.

"It wasn't like that. It was meant to be a one on one duel and Emir turned it foul through cheating. I was trying to ensure Adam's survival because I felt Drake could handle it—"

"You left because you thought I would die!" Drake shouted, and his words stabbed my heart. It wasn't like that at all… Yes, I had my doubts, but I still held faith in him… I'd always held faith even if I made mistakes…

"I didn't think you would die! It was a real possibility, but I wasn't praying for it! I wasn't hoping that you would, that Emir would win and we would all be lost! It was one on one. I didn't want him to make foul play and bring Adam even further into the mix than he already was!" I pleaded. This was getting us nowhere and it seemed as though I was merely digging myself a deeper hole with each word that left my lips. Drake wasn't listening, Tommy wasn't trying to speak for himself or defend me.

I had half a mind to apologize and turn to leave. I wanted to leave. I wanted to crawl away like a kicked dog and find Tommy again so we could speak more privately, but I had a gut-wrenching feeling that if I were to walk away, Drake would hold him on a leash and never leave him alone. And if that were to happen, I would never get a chance to tell Tommy how I felt. How I truly, honestly felt…

But that thought vanished from me when Adam's voice came from around the corner, "What is the meaning of all of this?" He was soft and gentle, but sure-fired and powerful. I turned to see him, startled at once by his beauty. His cropped hair was freshly trimmed and layered, dyed its alluring midnight black. His eyebrows were groomed, his skin beginning to take back its soft, tan pallor. He was adorned in a deep red robe with gold trim, the sleeves folded back some to reveal his long fingers and freckled hands and wrists, the tail dragging on the floor, deep brown trousers clinging tightly to his shrunken waist.

"Nothing, love, just… someone stepping over their bounds…" Drake snarled softly, glaring at me as he took hold of Tommy's hand. The blond glanced at the young king with a small sad look before turning his gaze on me. I held it with him for a moment before the weight of the guilt forced me to look away.

"I see… It is apparent, then, that Alexander and Tommy have talked?" Adam turned to me.

"Yes, My Pharaoh. Tommy and I spoke a few days ago and have not since. I tried, again, to apologize for my behavior, but Pharaoh Drake feels I am unworthy of Tommy's presence… regrettably, he is right in this. I will be on my way, and shall see you at dinner." I started to walk, to leave, because I knew it was futile at this point. Adam was still upset with me over my behavior towards Drake and I could only imagine the things Drake must have told him behind closed doors.

"Wait, Alexander," Adam said. I stopped, but I did not turn. Drake was right, my presence was unwanted. Why did he want me to stop? Didn't he feel the same? "I believe, despite my husband's efforts to mediate peace and time between you two, that it is up to Tommy whether or not he wishes to speak and resolve this"

My eyes widened and I turned back to face all three of them. Drake was shocked. Tommy equally so, but he nodded once before looking my way. I felt my face heat up between fear and hope. Fear that he would reject me just as easily as Drake had done. Hope that he would allow me to explain myself and maybe, just maybe, we could have a chance to fix everything that I ruined.

There was this impenetrable and endless silence that hovered above us as Tommy stared at me, contemplating his answer. Honestly, it was perhaps the most nerve wracking experience of my life, like my very soul was hanging on the balance of saving and severing. Perhaps that was extreme, but it was how I felt. I'd taken for granted everything that had been spoon-fed to me: my place here in the palace, my job, my friendships, my love, my happiness, all because of jealousy and greed. Such feelings I should not have felt yet… There they were, imprinted into my heart. I should not have felt this way, but I knew it was because I still felt cheated of Adam's love. I had been taken from his side and his bed out of greed and now I was here, having attempted to throw myself back into it when my place had already been taken…

I was unworthy of Tommy's love. I was unworthy of his affections because of my feelings for Adam yet… I craved them. I craved his look and his touch because it was the first I'd felt that made me alive since Bradley. It was the first of trust and unconditional surrender to happiness and I'd crushed all of it for harboring feelings that I had long since buried for Adam's sake. I was a coward and a fool and should have left when I had the chance, but I stayed… I stayed and I loved Tommy… And I broke him all the same.

"I want to know what he has to say… I want to know if I, not only should, but can trust him again… Because, by the Gods, so help me, I still love him… And he deserves to at least explain himself."

I choked on a breath that refused to reach my lungs and I felt my heart soar then. Like the weight of the entire Afterlife had been lifted off of my shoulders. I felt weightless, joyful that he was granting me this small chance. No, it was not small. It was grand, it was perfect, it was more than I could have hoped for. I smiled, swaying a little before feeling Tommy's hand on my shoulder. How did he come to my side so soon?

"Well, don't get melodramatic and fall over on me," he teased, smiling softly. "Come on." Tommy took hold of my hand, gently squeezing as he guided me away from Adam and Drake.


	169. Chapter 169

**Chapter Fifty-Two: Never Give Up If You Can Still Go On** **  
** **Adam's POV**

"Baby, where are we going?" I asked as Drake carefully led me through the halls of the palace. I'd been home from Persia for about a month and, for the most part, was adjusting back into my normal life rather well. My tan had returned, my dreams weren't completely filled with nightmares, I felt comfortable with my friends and my family—Drake most of all—but there were still things about my life that just didn't line up to what I had before I was taken to Persia and locked in those filthy dungeons, being abused by those pathetic fucks who thought they were men.

Drake was still acting Pharaoh. I spent most of the last month trying to recuperate and start feeling back up to par and Drake was sweet enough to continue ruling our country as well as Persia. Anyone with eyes could see how stressed he was, not just because of his crown, but because he was trying to take care of me and make me feel like a king again. There was also the whole Alexander mess to be dealt with. After the confrontation between my lover and my ex lover over the past year, they both cracked in Persia and to be perfectly honest, I was surprised that no one was killed (well no one who didn't deserve to be killed anyway).

When Alexander admitted that he wanted to make Drake look back because he didn't think he deserved such power, he destroyed one relationship and severely wounded two others. I wasn't really sure if Drake would ever forgive him for not only constantly making him look like a fool but for admitting that he was still in love with me. Not only had Alexander succeeded in pissing off Drake, but he also hurt Tommy in a way that may not be repairable. Since Tommy was Drake's very best friend, this made Drake loath Alexander even more and I wasn't sure if their former relationship would ever be salvaged.

Alexander questioning my judgment to put Drake in charge really didn't make me feel like I still had a friend in him. My judgment was not distorted because of my love for Drake and it certainly wasn't failing because of my sexual relationship with Drake. To know that Alexander thought I was wrong to put him on the throne was extremely hurtful if not a bit insulting. My decision was rational and grounded because I truly believed that there was no one else who could do my job.

One last thing that hadn't gone back to normal: I have not been intimate with Drake since before my capture.

Gods, I wanted to, trust me, I more than wanted Drake, but every time we would push beyond kissing and cuddling, I would remember Derek. Drake was not Derek and he was nothing like Derek but anything that had to do with sex was just so difficult for me to accept without thinking of my rape. Drake would never hurt me, this much I was sure of. In fact, if we were to have sex, I would probably top him but I just couldn't. Not yet… And I hated myself for it.

"Will you just relax? It's a surprise but we're almost there," Drake purred, leading me around a few more corners. When he first blindfolded me, we were in our bedroom and I tried desperately to follow to turns just by my memory but after about a dozen, I was sure Drake lead me in a few circles to confuse me. He really did want to make sure that whatever he was taking me to was a surprise. "Okay, stop walking, we're here," he said and the moment I stopped, he pulled away from me.

"Can I take the blindfold off?" I asked, listening to a bit of shuffling, like he was setting something up and after a few minutes, he came back to me, pulling the blindfold off slowly. At first all I saw was Drake's red and gold locks, which I found alluring a gorgeous, by the way, but after giving me a gentle kiss on my lips, he moved out of the way.

Behind him there was the fountain in the center of the garden we were married at. On the stone rim of the fountain sat an ice bucket with what looked like two bottles of champagne and two beautiful flute glasses tinted to match Drake's hair. Laid out in front of the fountain was a large blanket with a basket of what I assumed was filled with food and several large pillows to make sitting more comfortable.

"Since I didn't have any Pharaoh stuff to do today, I wanted to do something for just the two of us," he said, smiling bright enough to battle the sun's intense rays. "So I got up this morning before you woke up and make a lunch and some desserts for us and Hiei helped me set this up."

"Hiei? You mean you actually got him out of Cassidy's bed long enough to help you?" I asked, chuckling. Hiei really was one of the best things about this palace and I always felt a little guilty that I almost condemned him to a life of imprisonment. Thank the Gods that Drake had stopped me because not only was he good for us, but he was exactly what Cassidy needed to pull him out of the depression left by Bradley.

"Adam," Drake mock-scolded me, laughing quietly. "Be nice, you know that half of that is Cassidy's fault, not Hiei's." Slim, artistic fingers slipped through mine and the redhead pulled me over to the blanket. "Besides, do you really want to be making fun of them when you could be having a nice glass of chilled champagne? I broke open one of the good bottles for us," he added, filling the two flutes just short of the brim. Handing me one, he sat down beside me, leaning against my side not unlike a cat that curls up against you while sleeping.

Drake sipped his champagne and I followed suit while he unpacked the lunch that he made for us. Usually the chefs that worked in the palace did all the cooking, but I was no stranger to Drake's. Sometimes he just wanted to do something sweet for someone, like right now, and he was quite talented in the kitchen. Who would expect anything less from an artist though? Culinary was an art form in it's own respect.

"Now what would you like to start with? Hm? I made sandwiches, pasta, cubed fruit and chicken. Oh, and cake for dessert. Your favorite, chocolate with a hot fudge center and a thin layer of icing with strawberries," he said, unpacking each food item as he named it. "Any preferences?" In response, I merely put an arm around his waist and pulled him back up against my side, kissing his neck gently.

"I'd like a little bit of Drake to start with," I muttered, nuzzling his neck. His skin heated up almost immediately and I could feel him purr against my lips. "Everything looks great, baby, but I'd really love a real kiss." His blush deepened severely and he turned his head to press his lips to mine, pulling a soft moan from my lips.

For several minutes, our food and champagne just didn't matter and we ended up lying amongst the pillows, Drake's arms around my neck and mine firmly planted around his hips. All that mattered was Drake's lips pressed firmly to mine and him sucking hard on my tongue. Eventually he did break our kiss to breathe and he pressed his forehead against mine. "Oh baby…" he panted, stroking the hair on the back of his head with his fingertips. It ticked the back of my neck but it was that comforting sort of tickle that made you feel safe and at home. "I fucking love you."

"I love you too, baby," I whispered into his ear and brought one of my hands up to cup the right side of his face, my opposite hand pressed firmly to his backside. This was peaceful. This was what I always dreamed of when I was trapped in Persia, that I could come home to a man who loved me and we could just be happy with one another. Drake gave me that but with all of the drama that seemed to be spreading around the palace, between Tommy and Alexander and Drake trying to accept his father, Sebastian, it was like there was always something.

Now there was only Drake.

"Let's eat, okay? Then we can cuddle and kiss all you want, all day," Drake said, nuzzling my cheek gently. All I truly wanted to do was chase after his lips and kiss him until his pretty little redhead popped off but I also didn't want to waste the food that Drake went to so much trouble to make either, so slowly I sat up, pulling Drake up with me.

"All right, I'll have a bit of everything," I told him. How could I choose when all of it looked fantastic? A soft blush and an adorable smile crossed Drake's gorgeous face and he looked so young and innocent, it was kind of hard to remember that he was reaching thirty, currently ruling two countries and fought to near death in Persia for me. It amazed me how much he could still seem like that eighteen-year-old boy brought to me by my guards all those years ago.

Once Drake handed me a plate loaded with some of each item he'd prepared, he made himself a plate and leaned up against a little mountain of pillows. "You know… some diplomats from allied countries have been asking me when you'll be rejoining them…" Drake said, almost cautiously as he began to eat. "I keep telling them that he need time to recover but they're growing a little impatient. Now please don't think I'm trying to push you back into taking your throne, I'm fine with taking care of all of this stuff, I just think we should discuss what we're going to do later on?"

"Well… Actually I had been meaning to talk to you about the Pharaoh deal," I said, eating as well. Drake hadn't really pushed this issue in the month I had been home even though that meant putting so much stress on him, so I owed it to him to discuss it now. Besides, if we spoke about it while we were eating, then we wouldn't have to waste time talking afterwards when we could be doing things that were much more entertaining than talking. "I really appreciate you giving me time to get better before talking to me about this but I know how stressed you are over everything that's going on. With that being said, I think you're a wonderful Pharaoh and the country loves you."

"Adam, I'm really not—" Drake started to say, thinking I was finished but I shook my head some.

"You didn't let me finish, boo. I think you're an amazing Pharaoh, I truly do and the fact of the matter is you were made for this. My entire childhood was filled with tutors teaching me how to lead and you didn't need any of that," I said, took a pause to take a few more bites of Drake's delicious food, and then continued. "You see, I don't want you to take on the responsibility of being Pharaoh by yourself anymore. In the same respect, I don't want to go back to me being the Pharaoh and you being my husband."

"Okay… so what are you saying?" he asked, setting his plate aside while pulling one of the pieces of cake towards himself.

"I think we should share the throne, the title and the responsibility equally," I said, following suit in picking up a piece of cake. Usually I was careful about what I ate, but I lose so much weight in Persia that I needed to gain it back. "You're far too amazing to go back to just being the Pharaoh's husband but I don't want you to feel like you have to do it alone. I've been thinking about this ever since I came home because I saw what an amazing job you've been doing by keeping the country going while I was gone. I don't want to take you off the throne but I don't want you to do this alone anymore."

"So you think we should share it? The throne, I mean? Can there even be two Pharaohs?"

"Of course, we make the rules, don't we?" I asked, eating the cake slowly. I had to suppress my moan of pure pleasure because it tasted so amazing. "The people love you, Drake. I think they would be upset to see you taken off the throne and I truly believe that this is the best option for us. When you were "just my husband" you were still involved in all of the decision-making. It really won't be any different. People called you "my King" then too."

"Yeah, I never did get used to that…" Drake mumbled and fell silent for a long while, probably thinking and considering my proposal. I didn't expect him to say no, but it was possible and if he truly didn't want to be Pharaoh anymore, I would respect that. Cassidy, Tommy and Hiei all told me how hard was for Drake while I was away and how hard he was on himself. He felt like he was a failure but that was probably more than just because of low self esteem. I'm sure it was a mixture of that, my absence and Alexander constantly telling him that he was wrong were the key factors and now that I was here and Alexander had backed off, he would be better.

He certainly seemed to gain his balls back when he took out Emir in Persia.

"So… Does this mean that I have to get Pharaoh tattoos?" Drake finally asked, which was his joking way of agreeing to my proposal. "Cassidy and several other people kept telling me to get Pharaoh inking but I refused because it felt like that was admitting that you weren't going to come back…"

"Well if you are going to remain Pharaoh with me, then yes, you would need Pharaoh inking," I said, setting what was left of my cake aside. Drake already finished his piece and I reached over and took ahold of his wrist, pulling it up next to my forearm. "You'll need this tattoo," I said, motioning to the Eye of Horus I received on my eighteenth birthday. "You'll also need a more substantial inking that will list out your obligation to the people and so on in the old language. Mine is across my back but since my promise seal already takes up your back, we'll have to find somewhere else for it. In fact, I already have an idea and it will be breathtaking on you."

"Well are you going to tell me what it is?" he asked, probably curious as to wear I was thinking because Drake had a rather extensive—yet tastefully done—list of inkings. He had the lover seal on his hips, claiming him as mine, my name tattooed on the inside of his thigh, my seal of promises (which Tommy also had) across his back and an ankh sitting on feathered wings on his shoulder and upper arm, he was running out of space, but I had the perfect idea for him.

"It'll be a surprise. I promise, it will be amazing on you though," I whispered into his ear, kissing him gently.


	170. Chapter 170

**Chapter Fifty-Three: I Don't Have The Strength To Resist Or Control You  
Drake's POV**

"You are, without a doubt, fucking crazy."

The words tumbled from my lips as I fell into the chair. Adam stood beside me, smiling faintly with those gorgeous freckled lips and those bright blue eyes. He had to be utterly crazy to suggest this. There was no way that he could be serious. It was a hard decision to accept the Pharaoh tattoos to begin with, but when Adam mentioned the _placement_ of such tattoos, I had to fight the urge to run out of the room and hide in my mother's arms.

"I'm not crazy, love. It'll be beautiful. _You_ will be beautiful," Adam spoke gently, his voice soft and sweet. But there was no sweetness in this. Inkings were already a painful process to undergo, and my fuck of a husband was suggesting I get an extensive tattoo _on my face_. "Please, Drake? Angelo will make it as painless as possible for you, I promise. And when you see the finished result, you'll understand why I suggested this for you."

" _Adam_ ," I groaned, eyeing him warily as Angelo set up a small table with the inks and needles. There were two tattoos specifically that I would be receiving: the Eye of Horus on my wrist to match Adam's, and a massive light gold tattoo that would start along my left cheekbone, work its way done my jaw and neck, along my left shoulder and down my side, wrapping around my lover tattoo before curling and ending on my outer-mid-thigh. This tattoo would be filled with hieroglyphs detailing my promises to my country and to my gods as Pharaoh of Egypt. They would depict my challenges and my successes, my eternal servitude to Egypt and to Ra himself. After having spent more than ten years at Adam's side and studying his own tattoos, I knew the finished product would be something incredible.

But on my _face_?!

"Love, please," Adam began, cupping my cheeks gently in his large hands. His thumbs smoothed circles under my eyes, "Angelo is going to sedate you, so not only will you be asleep the entire time, but it'll numb you as well so you won't feel it. He's going to take special care of you, I _promise_. And when he's done and you wake, I'll take care of you until the pain fades. I know you have difficulty with the inkings, but this one will be so worth it…"

I sighed softly, looking away from Adam. I didn't want to deny my love, nor did I want to deny my country, but my face… When I received my first tattoos as a pleasure servant, they had been the most painful markings I'd been given—willingly, that it—and the idea of receiving more markings on even more sensitive areas just… I had no desire to show my fear to Adam and to Angelo, but I was certain it was clear as daylight in my eyes.

"How long will I be asleep?" I asked him, hesitantly glancing at Angelo. The elder smiled at me warmly.

"The whole process will take a few days to complete. Our Pharaoh has been gracious enough to allow me to stay until it is finished, and I will maintain the numbing salves on your skin so that you may wake long enough to eat, drink, and rest at night without discomfort." I sighed again, rubbing my temple gently. The numbing properties were going to be a life saver, I knew for sure.

"My face?" I questioned one final time to Adam, and my blue-eyed angel smiled and nodded slowly, kissing me gently.

"Yes, love. It'll be the first thing Angelo does and it'll be the first to heal other than the Eye. When you wake and see the finished product, you'll understand why I wanted this done for you. People thought you a god before, when they see you with your marks they will not question your true grace."

Smiling faintly, I playfully pushed at Adam's chest. He laughed, kissing my cheek tenderly before taking my hands, pulling me up from my seat. He guided me down to our bed before letting me lie down. Angelo had commented that it would be easiest for me to lie down, and if I needed to be moved, Adam could re-position me accordingly. By the sounds of everything, I would be laying on my back and right side for quite a long while after this.

Quietly, I removed my vest and shorts before covering myself with a sheet from the bed. My head rested on one of the plush velvet pillows, my hair fanned around my face as Adam lounged beside me, gently running his fingers through my hair. I looked up at him as Angelo prepared a small needle with the sedative. Adam had suggested that Angelo do my Eye last and while I was still asleep to not only ensure he had the gold he needed but also to allow the more extensive work to begin healing immediately.

Swallowing the lump from my throat, I took hold of Adam's hand before lacing our fingers. The dark-haired king smiled warmly at me before brushing his lips against my forehead. "You're going to be so beautiful, my king," he murmured into my skin and I smirked at him.

"Am I not already to you?" Adam laughed.

"Of course you are. But this…" he brushed his fingers along my left cheekbone, "this will make you shine."

I barely felt the needle poking into my skin before a cool rush traveled along my arm. In no time at all my eyes began to slip shut, but I held onto Adam's hand as tightly as I could before the darkness swam around me and pulled me under.

If I woke up to eat, I couldn't remember it. The only thing I could recall were dreams and Adam's soft voice singing sweet Arabic lullabies to me, warm and soothing to my drugged self. My dreams were something else entirely; things I had never really dreamed before. They were dreams of gold walls and torches, of standing before gods and being admired and praised for my bravery in Persia and my love for Adam, of cool waters and lovemaking in the moonlight, of being dressed in silk robes and touching the hands and faces of my people. They were vivid, bright and were lucid in their wake.

There was one dream, one moment, that stood out the most. It was of Adam and I dressed in identical gold dressings and ruby robes, our crowns placed on our heads, standing upon a balcony together, overlooking our lush and beautiful kingdom. There was prosperity and wealth, happiness and peace. But, even in this dream, I knew we were not present in our kingdom. We were faded spirits, looking upon a land we had long since left behind. Despite this, we were content to be away, to be part of an Afterlife where we could still admire our work together, where we could still _be_ together.

These dreams stayed with me, constantly replaying in an endless cycle until they began to fade. They lost their vivacity, became less clear until I found myself waking, my eyes opening to a room washed in evening light, cool air kissing my warm skin. Slowly, I blinked, letting my vision come more clearly to me as I looked around. The room was empty, the setting sun blazing her glow across my bed and to the far wall. There was warmth and I looked down to see Pharaoh curled up on my lower stomach, purring in his sleep. Smiling softly, I reached down—with great effort, to my surprise; I felt as if my limbs were made of lead— to pet behind his ears. The cat didn't stir.

There was a soft opening of a door before footsteps entered the massive room. I turned my head some to see who was there, though a part of me knew there was no need. Adam stood with a clear jar half-filled with a creamy-yellow salve and a large pitcher of what I had full certainty was water with a small cloth dangling out of the rim. Upon shutting the door, Adam pivoted on his foot and began making his way to the bed before realizing I was awake. Smiling, he came down and sat on the bed beside me.

"Good afternoon, my sleeping beauty," he murmured gently, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "how are you feeling?"

"Like someone is laying on top of me. Why can't I move much?" Adam set the jar beside my arm before setting the pitcher of water between his thighs.

"You've been sleeping with sedatives for the last four and a half days, love. Your body is, no doubt, still heavily drugged," my expression must have been one of shock for Adam chuckled and caressed my cheek, "fear not, it should soon wear off now that you are awake. Your hunger will no doubt return as well; Tommy should be bringing you some food shortly."

I lifted my gaze to meet my husband's, seeing such adoration within. "How do I look?"

"Like a god, my love." I rolled my eyes.

"You've said that before, Adam. It's beginning to lose its charm." It hadn't at all.

"Let me fetch a mirror and you will understand." At this, Adam stood from the bed, setting the pitcher on the floor before walking up to the vanity we both so often used. He grabbed a small, rounded mirror with silver engraving and a few jewels before coming back to my side. He held it up for me to see my reflection, and in a single moment I understood.

Starting along just under my left eye were intricate and delicate swirling hieroglyphics and artistic designs in the lightest gold ink I'd ever seen. It was a faint sort of design, one that could be looked over. But when the light hit perfectly, it glimmered within my flesh. The artistry curled down my cheek, along my throat and down the left half of my being, glistening in the light. It flowed around my pre-existing tattoos with such ease that it seemed as if I'd gotten them all at once instead of years apart. Upon further inspection, I could only gather that Angelo had also done touch ups on a few other inkings, for the colors and lines were bolder and clearer than before.

Reaching up slowly, I touched the surface of my cheek beside the tattoo, careful not to press into the ink itself. The skin was numb, but that bothered me little. I had no intentions of ruining such perfection, so I avoided the gold all together. A small smile stretched across my face before growing wider as I looked over at my lover. He, too, was smiling warmly at me.

"Do you like it?" He asked and I nodded slowly, the stiffness in my being still making it difficult to move. His smile grew to a grin and he bent down, kissing my forehead sweetly. "I knew you would. Didn't I tell you?"

"Only a dozen or so times. Though I imagine you will wish to rub it in a few more, wouldn't you?" Adam laughed, gently caressing my hair with his fingertips.

"I might if the need arises," he murmured, slowly massaging the top of my head with his fingers, "then again, I might even if it doesn't, just to spite you." I rolled my eyes, lightly slapping his hand away from my hair. I set the mirror down beside him before turning my focus to his face. He looked well rested and recently bathed, judging by the fluffy-look his hair had adopted. I reached up, pushing my fingers through his bangs, carefully skimming the side of his head before palming his cheek.

Adam's eyes met mine and he leaned into my touch, bringing his own up to cup the back of my hand. "I love you," he said softly and I chuckled.

"And I, you, my king." Adam bent down, then, and kissed me, warm and lovingly.


	171. Chapter 171

**Chapter Fifty-Four: I Don't Want to Hide Any Part of Me From You** **  
** **Tommy's POV**

Due to his extensive tattoo, Drake wasn't really able to get out of bed. The tattoo took almost five days to complete considering the sheer mass of skin that was actually inked. Once it was completed, Adam let me in to see it while he slept and it was truly beautiful. Despite the slight swelling and redness that ran down the complete left side of Drake's body, I was speechless. In fact, I was more than speechless I couldn't even breathe.

The inking was a very light gold color that spelled out Drake's promises to protect his country and his trials that led up to him becoming Pharaoh, all in hieroglyphics of course. The color barely stood out from his lightly tanned skin and, if you weren't paying attention, you could easily miss the ink all together. When the right light hit it, though? Oh my Ra, he truly shined like the god that he could so easily become.

I couldn't explain it but it was as if, somehow, the inking completed him. Until that moment, he had been wonderful but afterwards, he was absolutely perfect.

Unfortunately the beauty of the tattoo didn't come without consequences. Drake had been sleeping all day and all night for the past several days, only waking every so often to eat as much as his stomach could hold. Adam and I took care to keep Drake clean (since he obviously couldn't bathe in his current state) and constantly refresh the salve application over the ink. Angelo gave the salve to us. It was supposed dull the ache of a healing wound and as well as increasing the healing time. That combined with Drake's constantly sleeping made the recovery time impressively quick for such an extensive tattoo.

Adam wasn't exactly having an easy time being away from Drake. Of course he was physically with the young king but he couldn't actually talk to Drake. He couldn't hold and be held, kiss and be kissed by his love because Drake was almost always unconscious and the times when he actually did wake up, he was only awake for thirty minutes at best. He hardly ever spoke, he was too disoriented and generally when he was conscious, he was in pain.

We could hardly expect much from the poor boy. Adam had talked him into such an extensive tattoo that, once healed, would be completely worth it, but until then, it would be like Hell in a hand basket for my friend. If Drake decided to give Adam a swift kick to the groin, I wouldn't have been surprised. That was only a fraction of the amount of pain he was in and Adam certainly deserved it. I know if I was talked into such a painful procedure with such a long recovery time, I would make the person who convinced me to do it pay for it.

Since Adam was still mentally recovering from his time in Persia and Drake was temporarily unavailable to comfort him, I spent most of my free time with the reinstated Pharaoh. Alex and I were still on ends. He had attempted to reconcile several times for what he had said to me but I just wasn't prepared to forgive him. How easily could you continue to be with the one you loved when you knew that part of your lover was craving the love of someone else?

I supposed that part of me was just feeling guilty about the entire situation. When Alex and I first got together, I was desperately in love with Drake. I wanted Drake with every fiber of my being and I couldn't have him because the young farm boy had fallen in love with the Pharaoh of Egypt and rightfully so. Alex gave me the time I needed to get over Drake but he and Adam had been together years ago. So many years and he had never gotten over the raven-haired king? He had lied to me about it for the entirety of our relationship instead of being honest. If he had been honest, we could have worked through our past loves together.

Instead he chose to lie to me. I despised being lied to more dearly than anything else in this lifetime.

Avoiding him didn't prove to be much of an issue since I spent most of my time with Adam and helping the king care for his beloved. Since Drake was at a state where he actually wanted to murder Alex, my boy didn't come anywhere near the Pharaohs' chambers. There was a moment, I was told, in Persia, where Drake came close to shooting Alex. Apparently Alex had left the duel to help Adam, leaving Drake and the others to fend for themselves and in the heat of battle mixed with blood loss Drake was suffering, he temporarily lost it.

The information frightened me but I didn't believe Drake would have actually been able to pull the trigger on his friend, even if he was at ends with him. Drake had certainly grown from that young virgin we had all swooned over when he was first brought to the palace, that much was certain.

Keeping Adam's mind off of Persia and off of his worries for his lover was a difficult task, but not impossible. The last few days we had spent alone together were truly amazing, for it almost seemed like we had fallen back into a time when neither of us were in a committed (therefore complicated) relationship. As if we were lovers just for the sake of the physical act of love and we were best friends without any form of complication between us. As much as I loved all of the people that had come into our lives and the changes that transpired, sometimes I missed how simple things used to be. It was honestly just nice to be able to relax and talk with Adam.

"I've… Honestly been thinking about…" Adam was saying as we settled into a little nook of the garden. "Erm, nevermind," he amended, sighing up at the clouds. It was a rather beautiful day, one of the cooler ones. It was supposed to rain later in the evening and the rain clouds that rarely formed over Egypt were currently blocking out the sun's harsh rays.

"No, Adam, you can tell me," I said, chuckling a little. The Pharaoh was lying on his back, staring up at the clouds. I elected to lie on my side so I could watch my friend in all of his restored beauty. Drake had done such an amazing job at restoring Adam's body from the abuse it had taken in Persia. We were all still working on the emotional trauma. "You know that."

"It's kind of embarrassing," Adam admitted, glancing sideways for the shortest moment. I barely even caught the glimpse. "But I suppose you're right. I've never had the need to hide things from you before," he confessed, sighing as he worked the fingers of his right hand through his hair. "I haven't been able to be intimate with Drake since I returned from Persia… After what Derek had done to me, I just felt so unworthy of him and every time I think about sleeping with him, I end up talking myself out of it. I desperately crave the physical intimacy that we used to share and I'm certain that he does as well. Well… After this inking he may be too angry with me for putting him through such an ordeal to even think about sleeping with me but…"

"Adam, you're rambling, honey," I informed him, laughing quietly, "listen, Drake doesn't blame you for not being that intimate with him. He understands, I know he does, but if you're craving that closeness too, you need to take him. You don't have to bottom or let him dominate, not unless you're comfortable with him but if you truly want him, you really just need to go for it. Well… After he heals and gets over his anger that is." I couldn't help but laugh again. "It's very possible that he'll never fuck you again, though."

Adam pouted at me but the conversation was short lived. Footsteps sounded on the opposite side of the bushes that concealed us. "Adam…? Tommy…?" I recognized the voice immediately as Alexander. "Are you two out here, I thought I saw you… I… I really need to speak with you both, please," he begged although he sounded extremely nervous.

My eyes met Adam's not a moment later, as if we were silently asking one another if we should expose our position. Alex and I were obviously not on good terms presently and Adam… Well Adam was kind of in a position where he was upset with Alex and his actions but he also had to reject him further for his husband's sake. Alex was upsetting Drake and Drake was Adam's entire life. How, exactly, was the Pharaoh supposed to take his ex-lover's side over Drake's?

"We're… We're over here," Adam finally called to his friend, sitting up straight. There was grass on the back of his clothing and I moved to sweep it away. Alex appeared then, pushing the brush aside so he could step into our little hiding place.

At first he couldn't make eye contact with either of us, he simply stared down at his sandals. "I know I'm not exactly the person either of you want to see right now, especially since you're both so worried about Drake…" he said slowly and sighed, rubbing one arm nervously with the opposite hand. Over the years I had been able to learn Alex's tells, when he was scared, when he was aroused, when he was lonely and when he was uncomfortable. His body language gave him away every time.

"What is it, Alex, don't beat around the bush," Adam said. It was not unkind, nor was it friendly, it was simply a command. In a way, it was a relief to hear, since it finally proved that Adam was slowly working his way back into his former glory as Pharaoh.

A few moments of silence passed between us and finally, finally, Alex lowered himself to the ground to sit opposite Adam and I. "I've been trying to catch you two for days now," he said. "Since I knew that Drake was resting. He is incredibly angry with me presently and I cannot blame him but I must talk to you both. You need to know the truth and… And I don't believe that Drake will give me the chance. No offense is intended, of course and please do not take it that way—"

"Alex," I said, pulling him back from his rambling.

"I'm sorry…" he finally said. "I'm so very sorry that I never told either of you how I felt." His eyes lifted from his hands to look at Adam for a moment and then me. "Please believe me when I say that I know you are not mine, Adam, that you belong to Drake. I also had no intentions of allowing my lingering feelings to influence my actions—"

"But they did influence your actions, didn't they?" Adam asked, cutting him off. Clearly Adam was still extremely displeased with the way Alex had treated Drake when the young king first took his throne.

"Yes… I assure you that it was all subconscious. I am jealous of Drake, honestly, how could I not be? He's like me and yet he's nothing at all like me. He's so much better, so much prettier… I cannot help but be jealous of him but I love him also. When the Persians took you and Drake came home unharmed-for the most part-it was just so easy to blame him, to think that I could do better. I was mentally making myself feel better and I didn't realize that it had shown through my actions until it was far too late," Alex admitting, shame blazing in his stormy gray eyes. Usually they were so vibrant and blue and now they were damaged, engulfed in pain and sorrow. "I never meant to hurt him and I certainly never meant to hurt the two of you."

"And your… lingering feelings? Alex, I love you and you know that, but I am no longer in love with you. My heart belongs to Drake now and as much as that may hurt you, I cannot change it. I will not leave him," Adam said cautiously but it needed to be said. There was a bit of what I knew to be pain in Alex's expression but he nodded on.

He then turned to look at me, almost as if Adam wasn't there at all. "My feelings for Adam do not influence my feelings for you, Tommy," he said. "You must know that just because part of me will always remain with Adam, that part is buried in the past. For a while I was confused… I was in pain and I didn't know what I was supposed to do, especially after everything that happened in Persia but my relationship with Adam is dead. It was so long ago and it will never revive."

"I…" I truly didn't know what to say. Alex's words were bittersweet. On one hand, he loved me, but on the other? He was still in love with Adam. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt considering that part of my heart would always belong to Drake. I could relate to him if nothing else and perhaps that was why we were such a good couple (minus the last few weeks, that is). "Alex, I love you and you know that, but I won't be second… I can't be. If this is a sort of love the one you're with type situation, I don't think it's for the best. If you're only with me because you can't have Adam—"

"No!" Alex shouted rather forcefully. "No, Tommy, you aren't second to Adam! I love you, so much. You have made me so happy and I cannot image ending my days without you. I cannot image taking anyone else. Please, please! You must know in your heart that my words are nothing less than the truth. I know I have been acting rather crazy as of late and I cannot make excuses for my behavior, but Tommy, I couldn't live with myself knowing that I was using someone as amazing as you to fill a void in my life for years. You and I have helped one another recover from some of the worst types of heartache and just because my love for Adam remains does not mean that I love you less."

Adam slowly stood up, brushing himself off. "I'll give you two some space…" he said quietly, glancing from me to Alex. While he and Alex still had some things to work out, he realized that this no longer concerned him and he needed to go. Part of me didn't want to be left alone though. "Alex, you and I will talk later," he added. "And you will also need to make things right with Drake." With that, he disappeared, probably to go and check on his love.

Alex and I both watched him depart and once his footsteps faded, we turned back to face one another. "Alex," I said quietly, slowly pushing myself up onto my hands and knees so I could crawl over to him. "I'm not ready to put an end to our relationship and as long as I am not second to Adam, I will forgive you… You've never held my love for Drake against me and I owe you the same."

Our eyes were locked on one another and tears were forming in his eyes. "You could never be second to anyone, Tommy and I am so terribly sorry for ever making you feel as if you were…" he said, slowly wrapping his arms around my neck. My arms came to rest around his waist and I pulled him to me, kissing him gently. It didn't last long, but it was as loving as I could manage.

"You know you have to fix things with Adam and Drake as well. As long as you are fighting, there will never be peace."

"I know. I'm trying to figure out how to make it all up to Drake but I have made so many mistakes I just don't know how… I'm just thankful that he is asleep for twenty hours a day currently. Gives me some time to think," Alex muttered, his forehead pressed to mine.

"I'll help you," I assured him, my heart finally calming. Thankfully Alex and I could finally start patching up. Our situation certainly wasn't perfect and we weren't back to normal, but it was a start.


	172. Chapter 172

**Chapter Fifty-Five: I Will Never Stop Losing My Breath Every Time I See You Looking Back At Me  
Eric's POV**

Adam and Drake had been home for nearly three to four months. The war with Persia was over—I'd overheard from Cassidy that the late King's advisors and the people of Persia had crowned a new king, a man with promise—and everything was falling back into a sort of familiar comfort. Hiei and Cassidy were inseparable. Mama was reunited with Drake's biological father and first love—as much as I did not desire to admit it, she looked so happy, and Sebastian was good for her. Tommy and Alex were trying to patch up their shaken relationship after the fiasco they'd suffered.

There was no doubt that, while things were stitching themselves back together, there was some work to be done. Those who had gone to Persia had come back changed. Of course Adam was different; he'd been imprisoned for a year, tortured mercilessly. Cassidy and Alex had moments of paranoia and anxiety. They jumped at obscenely loud noises and actively avoided intense confrontations. It was natural, as sad as it was. But it was natural, none the less. They were coming off of a stressful endeavor, and such things took time to heal from.

But… Drake, I believed, had changed the most of everyone. He was still the same loving and caring older brother that he had always been. He was still supportive of Adam, was a grateful and careful lover. But there was a part of him that was reserved as a man. If he wasn't with Adam, he was quiet and withdrawn, holed up within himself. Drake was not one to be shut away. Contemplative, yes, but this was something else all together with my brother. Something that I was concerned of if not terrified for.

Drake was not a man to consider suicide. But during Adam's absence, his depression had thickened to levels no one could have imagined. Had Tommy not been there, I would have lost my brother. Mama would have lost a son. Those of the palace would have lost a friend, a confidante. Egypt would have lost a king. Adam would have lost the only thing to keep him alive.

At any rate, Drake's tentative nature since returning had left me a little more than worried. I knew he wouldn't do anything rash but.. oh, Gods, he'd been home for four months and I had barely said a word to him. I had yet to talk to my brother, console him in any way he needed or even to just tell him I was glad he was home and well and that I hadn't lost him, too. I'd lost Anna and it shattered everything… if Drake had died in Persia.. I wasn't sure what I would do. What I would do for Mama, or Amalia, or Hayden and Jonah…

We never thought of the very-real possibility that, with Drake being the king of Egypt, his life would be in danger. And not even just with foreign dangers but dangers here at home. Though much time had passed, we all still remembered, quite vividly, the attacks on Tommy, Adam and Drake as well. The horrors we suffered and the fact that we very nearly lost all three of them. The worst potential threats before Drake was taken away was a hustle on the street, a poor day in the markets. Now there were threats of murder and blindsiding.

I knew it took a toll on Mama. She was always so worried about Drake and his health, and when he'd gone to Persia for Adam, she damn near had a heart attack. To wake up and find that he, Cassidy and Alex were gone? She cried so much that day, and stayed holed up in her room, watching the stairs of the palace for when they might return. Hayden stayed with her, even in his growing adulthood years—it still baffled me that he was now eighteen when he was such a young, shy thing—he was still her baby and still clung to her when she was sad.

I'd done my best for Mama, too, when I wasn't counseling my younger siblings or those young, fearful servants who'd only known of Adam and Drake's kindness for a short time but loved them all the same. During Adam and eventually Drake's disappearance, the entire kingdom had been in a standstill, awaiting their joint return. Prayers were uttered charms made, wishes of wellness given. These people—Adam and Drake's people—were so full of faith and of hope that even I, someone of royalty through marriage, felt their sheer strength and power in their presence.

When the word had been given unto the people that Adam and Drake had returned safe and well, there was much rejoicing. Neighbors came together to celebrate, strangers danced together in the streets. For an entire month the people of Egypt thanked the Gods and praised one another for prayers and faith. There hadn't been such happiness since the pharaohs' wedding. It was touching. But my brother and brother-in-law had little chance to participate in such revelry. They were recovering, Drake from physical wounds and at Adam's absence, Adam for his tortures and suffering.

I knew, though, that now it had been four months since their return that the people were anxious to be in the presence of their kings again. While, perhaps in old days, it was not common for the pharaoh to grace the common folk with his unabashed and simple presence, Drake and Adam were of a different, gentler sort. They'd always wanted to be connected to their people, to help each and every one of them in whatever way was possible. Since their return, they had been unable to pay visit to the city center and to behold their citizens. While they could hardly be faulted, the Egyptians were still full of wanting.

Fortunately for them, that conglomerate want could be appeased. Adam and Drake had bathed, dressed, and gussied themselves up for their trip into the center. Adam looked better than ever before; he was still thin, still rather frail from his time spent in Persia. One could see it in his face and his hands—his cheeks were still hollow and his wrists and fingers slimmer than before. But he'd regained health, weight, and pallor to his skin. He regained his pride. As for Drake, now sporting his final pharaoh markings, held a radiance both in physicality and aura. He looked bathed in gold, touched by the hands of Gods. If the people did not faint from their kings' presence, they would at the sight of my brother's attractive beauty.

In their errand, I'd stolen away for some time alone with my love, Sauli. In the welcoming of our kings, as well as my own bashfulness, we'd had little time to spend to ourselves. We stole kisses and small, gentle moments of intimacy when we could, but they were few and far between for our tastes. And today, now that our kings had managed to pry themselves from the confines of the palace, I held every intention of spending my afternoon with Sauli.

Pulling off my silken green and gold hemmed robe, I snatched up a loose fitting linen white shirt with three-quarter sleeves, pulling it on over my head, slipping my arms into it before smoothing it down over my stomach. I tucked it into a pair of white pants that clung nicely to my thighs, flaring and pooling out before cinching in tight at my ankles with gold embroidery. Slipping my feet into my leather sandals, I slid into a gold vest before making my way out of my room in search of Sauli.

I did not need to look far or long, for I found him laying in the throne room upon a large plush cushion, wearing my twin outfit but in gold with white, the sleek black and adorable Pharaoh perched on his chest. His long fingers slid through the cat's glossy fur, his smile bright and radiant and the cat nudged into his palm, meowing softly. I smiled, walking closer to him, my footsteps catching his attention. He turned his head, looking to me.

"Eric," he said softly, smiling more, "what brings you?" I sat beside him on the edge of the cushion, tucking a finger under Pharaoh's chin, scratching softly before leaning down to kiss Sauli slowly.

"I thought I'd take a walk to find you. Adam and Drake are out for the afternoon, Mama is with Sebastian, my siblings are doing their own things. I had little else to do and wanted to be with you." Sauli's eyes softened as he kissed me again, his free hand reaching up to touch my face.

"I was about to come fetch you, actually," Sauli said against my lips. Beside us, Pharaoh huffed and jumped off from Sauli's chest, leaving us now that we were ignoring him, "I was wondering if you'd like to go to that spring with me just outside of the city? The one I told you about?"

"That sounds lovely. And it's warm enough that we could go for a swim." I kissed his nose, sitting up slowly. I took Sauli's hand, helping pull him to his feet before walking with him to the garage just behind the palace.

"Should we not gather some necessities? Swim wear? Food? Drink?" I smiled at Sauli.

"No, love," I told him, "there is fruit at the spring, the water drinkable, and swim wear is hardly a necessity." I smirked, weaving my fingers through his. His eyes glowed with the realization of my mischief, and he smirked back at me before sticking close to my side.

We made our way into the garage, finding a motorbike large enough for the two of us to ride together. Snatching up two helmets, I handed one to Sauli as he reached around me, pressing two buttons to start the engine of the bike. Strapping on my helmet, I pulled out of the garage, feeling Sauli's arms wrap around my waist as we took off out into the hot afternoon.

The sun was high and the sand hot as warm air kissed our skin, our clothes flapping in the breeze as I drove us towards the spring. It was some twenty miles or so from the palace, off in its own oasis of sorts with a few outlying clusters of trees and plants surrounding it. It was quaint and quiet, secluded from everything else with the exception of a few desert animals that tended to prowl the sands. For the most part, though, they only ventured out at night when it was cooler.

The drive was quick, and Sauli never moved his arms from around my waist. His added body heat made the air and the sun difficult to bear, but his hold on me was a comfort I would not sacrifice for any moment of cold, and my shirt was damp around my middle by the time we pulled into the oasis. I stopped the engine, frowning when Sauli's arms left my torso. In a fluid motion, I unclipped my helmet and removed it, shaking out my hair for a brief moment to air out my scalp.

Fingers dove into my locks and Sauli pulled my head back, kissing me hard. I moaned deeply, the helm slipping from my fingers, clattering into the sand as Sauli deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between my teeth dominating me in wet heat. Warmth and pleasure stirred in my bones, rousing my linen clad member to half-hardness by the time Sauli pulled away with a soft pop of our lips. Moaning softly, I looked up into his bright blue eyes, licking my lips slowly.

"What was that for?" I asked playfully, gently trailing my fingers down his chest. He smirked some, running his fingers through my hair.

"You pulled your helmet off and shook your hair like you were a model for a man's wet dream, and I had to have you," he pressed another kiss to my lips, pulling a moan from deep within my chest. I chased his mouth as he slipped away, whining as I watched him peel off his vest and his shirt, "Come along, love."

Growling, I slipped off of the bike, tearing off my vest, dropping it in the sand as I pressed myself to his back, leaving kisses in his neck and shoulders, my half-hard on nudging between his firm cheeks. He gasped, pressing back into me for a moment, "G-Gods, Eric…" he moaned, reaching back to grab at my hair as I nipped at his neck just below his ear, earning a quiet groan, "ohh, fuck…"

I slipped my hands into his trousers, stroking him to match my own ache, grinding my hips into his lower back, rubbing against him softly. His stuttered gasps and quiet whines were sending pleasurable shivers down my spine, and I growled into his neck, "Sauli…"

"Water," he said, managing to pry himself from my hold. His face was red and his eyes were blazing with want, "it'll be cooler…"

Nodding, I tugged Sauli's pants down to his knees as he lifted the hem of my shirt to my under arms. I raised them, letting him pull my shirt off over my head before he, too, made quick work of my trousers. Naked, the two of us took hands and raced to the spring, jumping in once we touched the edge of the sand. The water was cool, refreshing, and so clear that I could see every detail, every line and curve and rippling muscle in Sauli's slender figure beneath its surface.

Coming up for a breath, I dipped back under, kissing Sauli hard, breathing into him until his lungs were filled with me, and then he returned the succulent gift right back. Pleasure burned through my veins, my cock aching heavily between my gently kicking legs as we came up again. Sauli's hands fisted themselves into my hair, pulling hard as he kissed me again, his legs winding around my waist, holding himself against me. I groaned into his mouth, looping one arm around his hips, my free hand cupping along his jaw, my thumb pressed under his chin as we kissed.

We stayed like that for a moment or two, breaking only when we couldn't stand another moment without breath. I kept my hand clasped against his neck, resting my forehead against his as we caught our breath. Now and then we'd steal soft, sweet kisses, quiet mewls falling from Sauli's lips, hushed moans from mine. Between our stomachs I could feel Sauli's erection, heavy, hard and burning in the coolness of the water.

Chastely, I kissed him again, sliding my hand along his hip, "What if I told you I wanted you.. right here and now in these waters…" I whispered, kissing Sauli's jaw. In my arms he moaned, tilting his head back to expose a long expanse of neck, glistening from the water, begging to be marked with my love.

"What if I said I've wanted you since that day in the library where I kissed you… that I've dreamt of you having me in whatever way you wanted, from now until forever…" I felt my heart stutter erratically in my chest, and I weakly kissed his throat.

"If I said I loved you…"

"I would say I loved you, too," my eyes met Sauli's. I could see my reflection, my shock and my awe in his irises. He smiled at me, caressing my face with his fingers, "I would say I want you to have me until the end of time and into the After. I would say I want your love, only yours.."

"Sauli…"

"Take me," Sauli's hand dipped into the water, reaching to grab my erection, shifting to press it to his hole as best as he could in his position. I gasped as I felt the heat of his entrance, the tight ring of muscle relaxing to accommodate me, "take me, Eric. Make love to me. Make me yours."

I kissed him hard, pressing him against a warm boulder that was embedded into the sand at the bottom of the spring, poking its grey head above the surface. Sauli arched some, moaning loudly as I pressed deeper into him, the head of my swollen cock pushing past the rim of his entrance, pulsing at the persistence of his muscles until it broke past and slid into him some. I gasped, feeling Sauli's body clench and unclench around me, his heart beat vibrating through his skin into my being. Darkness fluttered across my vision as he squeezed my cock, muscles twitching as they began to relax.

Sauli's fingers dug into my hair, nails of his opposite hand cutting into my shoulder as he gasped softly, arching off of the rock. The sun glistened in the diamond drops of water that clung to his hair, the sheen of water across his skin slowly drying in the heat. He glistened in the light, lips red and swollen, eyelashes thick as they fluttered over the tops of his cheeks. His hands relaxed and he pulled me closer, kissing me slowly, deeply, moaning harshly into my mouth.

His fingers tightened in my hair, pulling once. At this, I growled, snapping my hips lightly into him, thrusting ever as gently as I could. Beneath me he whined, legs curling tighter, drawing me deeper. I moaned as his body clenched around my cock, warm and smooth. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth while the pleasure boiled, and so I kissed him again.

The world was spinning off of its axis as I rolled my hips again, slowly taking him with short, gentle thrusts. He was tight, trying to relax, to adjust and make the slide easier. But we were going at this without prep, without lube. We weren't prepared, but there was something about such a situation that made everything… heightened. The burn of forcing myself into him was causing me to stutter when I tried to breathe. My heart pounded harder the deeper he dug his nails and his heels into my skin.

It took a few moments and several short thrusts to be able to drag my length in and out of him. I kept the pace gentle, loving and passionate, but my thrusts were deeper and longer now. I could, though just barely, breathe with him and with our movements, inhaling as I pushed, exhaling as I slid. Sauli's pained grip loosened until he was grappling at me, holding on as each thrust touched a new sensation inside of him. Incoherent words and moans babbled from his lips like a brook over rocks, fluid and cool.

When my motions became as fluid as the breeze that touched our skin, I leaned in to kiss his throat. That highway of flesh and heat pulsed under my lips as I bit into the softness of him, sucking tenderly. I peppered his throat and neck with purple and blue marks that only darkened as I made love to him.

Sauli moaned and mewled louder and louder the deeper I thrust, the snap of my hips becoming harsher, harder, and quicker in their force. We were close at this point, tumbling and rolling down the hill towards the cliff that would send us over the edge and into a blissful oblivion. Gently I grabbed Sauli's hand, lacing our fingers, pressing our grasped hands to the smooth rock above his head. He kept his free one on my hip, clawing and groping at my skin as I reached down to take his swollen length into hand, pumping in time with my thrusts.

Sauli arched into me, crying out, face and skin hued in red and passion. His legs tightened so much that I could barely thrust at all, left only to grind into what I could imagine must have been a most pleasurable spot, for he wailed and gasped and cried as he came onto my stomach, hot, pearly strands of white lacing themselves over my skin. Squeezing Sauli's hand, I clenched my jaw, humping hard into him before shouting, pleasure exploding in every fiber of my being as I, too, came, deep inside of him.

I had never bedded a man before. Nor had I bedded a woman. I had kissed and touched women before, but I'd never had them. I never imagined having a man beneath me, writhing in ecstasy from my touch. And though I was young, comparatively inexperience to, perhaps, my brother and my friends in the arts of loving, I knew what pleasured me, and could only apply such knowledge to that of my lover. And after watching him come undone under me, to have his seed splattered on my skin from my kisses, my touches, and my love making was more than I could bear. I knew, then, that I would never want to bed another, man or woman.

Gasping heavily, I leaned against Sauli, the two of us sliding a little more into the water, still firmly pressed to the boulder. His eyes were shut, lips parted as he gasped for breath. I panted into his shoulder, feeling the waters wash away his seed. I was sad at this, for I had not been able to revel in my lover's passion before it was cleansed from me. But something told me I would have plenty of opportunities yet.

Gently, I kissed Sauli's neck, my limbs refusing to even twitch let alone move. He moaned weakly, voice wrecked. "Gods," he whispered, hoarse and cracking as the word trailed off, "that… I can't..even.."

I smiled, leaning heavily into him. "Good?" I asked.

"Incredible… best I've ever… had.." It hadn't occurred to me at all that Sauli had had sex before. That, prior to him coming to Egypt, and coming into my life, that it was his life, to bed others. It hadn't mattered. It still didn't.

"I'm glad.." I told him, kissing his skin again. Exhaustion pooled into my bones. I wanted to stay inside of him forever under the heat of the sun with the water swirling around us.

Sauli turned his head, kissing me slowly, "I love you."

"And I, you… so much." He smiled.

"You better." I chuckled, chasing his mouth.

"How could I not?" I told him, kissing him again and again.


End file.
